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9. After I return from my year in France, I speak French and
discuss art.

10. Now he has his own piano, so he practice a lot more.

12.3 Past Ability: Could and Was/Were Able To

Could (Not) Was/Were (Not) Able To
She could walk before she was one. She was able to walk before she was one.
We couldn’t dance before we took the class. We weren’t able to dance before we took the class.
A: Could you draw well as a child? A: Was she able to draw well as a child?
B: Yes, I could. / No, I couldn’t. B: Yes, she was. / No, she wasn’t.

1. Use both was/were able to and could to express Tara could run 10 miles when she was 20.
general ability in the past. As kids, we were able to swim every day.

2. Use was/were able to (but not could) to express ✓ She was able to finish the project last night.
ability related to one event in the past. ✗ She could finish the project last night.

3. Could can be used to express ability related to
one event in the past with:
a. verbs of perception (see, hear, understand) a. I could understand yesterday’s lecture.
b. negative forms (couldn’t) b. She couldn’t finish the project last night.

7 Circle all correct answers. Sometimes both answers are correct.

1. Nancy was able to / could sing beautifully as a child.

2. Patrice wasn’t able to / couldn’t go to the movies last night.
3. Bao was able to / could play the piano at the competition last year, but

he wasn’t able to / couldn’t play in this year’s competition.

4. A: Were you able to / Could you hear the speaker?

B: No, I wasn’t / couldn’t.

5. George was able to / could buy a rare painting yesterday.

6. Most students were able to / could speak very well after the course.

7. When I turned ten, I was able to / could get my first laptop.
8. They were able to / could hear the doorbell even though the TV was very loud.

9. A: I need a few more tubes of this blue paint.

B: Try the new art shop on Main Street. I was able to / could buy that color there last week.

10. I wasn’t able to / couldn’t finish my writing assignment during class. Luckily my teacher will

let me finish it at home.

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