Page 180 - Complete First B2 (third edition) Student Book

• was/ were able to when speaking about one particular PRACTICE
occasion when someone succeeded in doingsomething: Q Complete the sentences with a modal verb from the box.
When the waiter brought the bill, I realised that I didn’t have
enough cash on me to pay; but I was able to ring a friend who can can’t x2 could couldn’t
came and paid it. (NOT / could ring a friend who came and was able to
paid it.)
1 you understand basic economics when
• couldn’t and wasn ’t/ weren ’ t able to when speakingin you were eight?
general,and also when speaking about one particular 2 He get to the meeting on time yesterday,
occasion: because his car broke down.
I wasn’t able to / couldn’t calculate the exact dimensions of the
store room from the office plan. 3 She’s absolutely amazing - she’s only seven and she
He couldn’t / wasn’t able to understand many of the formulas speak five languages,including Japanese.
in chemistry until he started to revise seriously for his exam.
4 He was delighted,because he find a taxi
• When talking about ability, we use can only in the present and get to the party on time.
andcould only in the past.For perfect and future tenses, we 5 I’ve searched everywhere for my car keys,but I
useable to: find them anywhere.
He’s been under a lot of pressure at work, so he hasn’t been
able to go out much recently , (present perfect) 6 l lift this armchair - it’s so heavy! Could you
When you finally get the job, you ' ll be able to organise your help me, please?
daily routine as you wish, (future simple)
Q Tick the correct sentences. Correct the sentences with
We use be able to: mistakes.
• after an infinitive:
1 I wasn ’ t able translate the text into French,because it
She hopes to be able to study tropical medicine when she goes contained too many unfamiliar expressions.
to university.
2 When the garage mechanic showed me the bill for the
• after modal verbs (might,should, may, etc.): repair,I didn’t have enough money on me to pay for it, but
I’ve got some free time at the weekend,so I might be able to fortunately I could use my credit card this time.
help you fix the dent in your car. PDF from sachtienganhhanoi.com
When youVe completed this assignment,you should be able to 3 Thank you for your job offer,but I am afraid I couldn’t
start the advanced course. accept it.

• We usually use can and could with see, hear,smell,feel and 4 When you finally move into your new flat, you ll be able to
'
taste: decorate it as you wish.
We could smell the eggs burning from upstairs. 5 I could taste and smell the garlic for hours after the meal.
I can hear a strange,scratching noise coming from inside the
chimney. 6 He could run the marathon in less than three hours,
although he hadn't been trainingregularly for ten days.
However, we use manage when we succeed in doing something
which is quite difficult to do:
Didyou manage to run the marathon in less than two and a half
hours?
She managed to get the top grade in the chemistry exam, RELATIVE PRONOUNS AND RELATIVE
althoughshe hadn’t attended lab sessions for some time.
CLAUSES
Note:could is not possible in this example:
/ le could get the top grade in the chemistry exam, although he A clause is a group of words containinga subject and a verb
had not been to the lab to do experiments for some time. which form a sentence or part of a sentence.Relative clauses
Note: We do not use be able to in continuous forms. start with these relative pronouns:
who,which,that,whose, where,when and why.
Definingrelative clauses
• Relative clauses which tell us which particular person or
thing the speaker is talking about are called definingrelative
clauses. They give essential information:
The athletes who train the hardest will win the most medals.
The relative clause tells us which athletes we are talking
about.