UNIT 4 - HOMEWORK

LAIME ROSAS BERLY ZET

A modal verb is a type of auxiliary verb that is used to indicate ‘modality’ – permission,

ability obligation, likelihood, probability.

ABILITY
When we talk about general ability we talk aboUt something that once you have

learned yoU can do it any time you want, like being able to read or speak a

language.

When we talk about specific ability we talk about something that you can or

can’t do in a particular situation. For example, being able to move something

very heavy or find something you are looking for.

We can use one of the following to express ability.

We can use one of the following to express ability.

MODAL MEANING / USE EXAMPLE

can / can´t Present ability I can speak English.
General
specific ability He can’t drive today. He’s too tired.
Could / Past ability I could read when I was four.
couldn´t General ability
Was/ were Past ability I was able to get tickets for the concert but they
able to Specific ability finished right after I bought mine.
Ability that I could have studied medicine but I preferred to
could have
you had in the become a nurse.
+past
past but didn´t
participle
use
will / won’t Future ability At the end of the course you will be able to speak
be able to General ability French.
can / can’t Future ability I can help you tomorrow if you need me to. I can’t
Specific ability come to school tomorrow.
 PRACTICE EXERCISE: MODALS OF ABILITY
Complete the following sentences with an appropriate modal verb.

Use ‘can’, ‘can’t’, ‘could’, ‘couldn’t’, ‘be able to’.

1. ______Could__________ you swim when you were ten?

2. We ____couldn’t__ get to the meeting on time yesterday, because the train
was delayed by one hour.
3. He __be able to____________ arrive at the party on time, even after missing
the train,
so he was very pleased.
4. He’s amazing. He ___can______ speak five languages, including Chinese.
5. I ____couldn’t____ drive a car until I was 34. Then I moved to the countryside,
so I had to learn.
6. I looked everywhere for my glasses but I _____couldn’t__ find them
anywhere.
7. I searched for your house for ages. I ____be able to______ find it in the end,
so I
left.
8. She’s seven years old, but she _____can_____ read yet. Her parents are
getting her extra lessons.
9. I read the book three times, but I ___couldn’t_________ understand it.
10. James ____could________ speak Japanese when he lived in Japan, but he’s
forgotten most of it now