Question

C. Find more examples of could and write the sentences in the table below.

Could

Polite Possibility


Ability in the past

Answer 1

Respuesta:

Polite possibility:

1. He could borrow us the money which we need / Él podría prestarnos el dinero que necesitamos
2. You could go to your home / Tú podrías ir a tu casa
3. You could take this box to the post office? / ¿Podrías llevar esta caja a la oficina de correos?
4. Could we go with you? / ¿Podríamos ir contigo?

Ability in the past:

General ability

We usually use could or couldn't to talk about general abilities in the past.

She could paint before she started school.

I couldn't cook until I went to university.

When I lived next to the pool, I could go swimming every day.

She could paint before she started school.

I couldn't cook until I went to university.

When I lived next to the pool, I could go swimming every day.

Ability on one occasion – successful

When we talk about achieving something on a specific occasion in the past, we use was/were able to (= had the ability to) and managed to (= succeeded in doing something difficult).

The burglar was able to get in through the bathroom window.

The burglar managed to get in through the bathroom window even though it was locked.