English — Expressing Ability: Can, Could, Be able to — 3rd Year Middle School — Algerian Curriculum

Expressing Ability

Can (present ability)

• I can swim.
• She can speak three languages.
• Can you help me?

Could (past ability)

• I could run fast when I was young.
• She couldn’t read until she was 6.

Be able to (all tenses)

• Present: I am able to solve this problem.
• Past: She was able to finish on time.
• Future: I will be able to drive next year.

Difference

Can/could are more common. Be able to is more formal and used for all tenses.

Exercises

1. Fill in: (When I was 5, I ___ (can/could) not ride a bike. Now I ___ (can/am able to) ride very well.)
2. Write 3 sentences about your abilities.

دروس مشابهة:

• اللغة الإنجليزية — Defining and Non-defining Relative Clauses — 2ثان
• اللغة الإنجليزية — Prepositions of Movement: To, Into, Onto, Through
• اللغة الإنجليزية — The Future: Will vs Going to — 1ثانوي — شعبة آدا