Can, could and be able to.

Use could 　 / 　 be able to in
negative sentences:
　　 He couldn’t ride a bike when he was 5.
　 He wasn’t able to swim when he was 4.
Use could/be able to for general
ability BUT ONLY be able to for
single events in the affirmative and
interrogative:
She [could / was able to] swim well
when she was little.
　　 She was able to swim in the gala on
Saturday.
[Could you / Were you able to] speak
English when you were little?
　　 Were you able to speak English while
you were abroad?
Use can / be able to: Use will be able to:
　　 I can ride a bike. 　 I will be able to drive when I’m 18.
　　 He is able to swim.
They won’t be able to come to the
They can’t play tennis. party next week.
　　　 I’m not able to sing well.
Will you be able to drive me to
Can she speak English? school tomorrow?
　　　 Are you able to dance?
“Can” has no future form.
Although both are possible
“can” is more natural.
Hi! My name’s Rika and I want to tell you
a little about myself. Please read the
sentences, fill in the blanks with can or be
able to, and match to the pictures.

When I was at kindergarten I still needed help to do a lot of things. I

_______________ put on my pajamas, but I _______________ do
the buttons up (1) by myself. I _______________ read picture books
(2), but I _______________ read story books by myself. There were
lots of things I could do though! My friends and I _______________
clean our classroom (3) and I _______________ build a big snowman
(4) all by myself! I was good at sports, too. I _______________ swing
on the monkey bars, though I _______________ do a somersault (5)
like my brother. And I was
so happy because I _______________ run in the relay on sports day
(6). I liked art as well. I was so proud the day I
_______________ make my mum a mother’s day card (7) all by
myself!

Now I’m a Junior High School Student. Of course I’m able to do many
more things. For example, now I _______________ ride my bike to
school (8) and my friends and I _______________ hang out together
(9) on the weekends. We _______________ go to the city (10) without
one of our parents, though. I am a member of the basketball club, so
now I _______________ play basketball (11) as well. And, of course,
I _______________ study hard (12), too! Recently I have started
piano lessons, so I can play the piano a little (13), although I
_______________ play it very well yet. And best of all, I
_______________ stay up till 11pm
(14) and watch my favorite TV programs on the weekends.
 Next year I’ll be a high school student. I’m really looking forward to it, as I’ll be able to do so
many more things then. First, my parents say I _______________ have a cell phone (15) if I do
well in my entrance exam, although I _______________ download music (16) with it, as my parents
say I can continue to do that on our home computer. School will be much more fun, too! My friends
and I _______________ wear a cute uniform (17) and we _______________ (18) wear makeup to
school (18). And, even better, I _______________ ride a scooter to school (19) after I get my
license. I’m going to continue to have piano lessons, so I hope I _______________ play the piano
(20) in our school band concerts.

Write True or False. If the answer is true, rewrite
it in other words (if possible) to mean the same thing.
If the answer is false, correct it. Study the examples
first:
Rika could do her buttons up when she was in
kindergarten.
False. Rika couldn’t do her buttons up when she was
in kindergarten.
She couldn’t play the piano when she was in
kindergarten.
True. She wasn’t able to play the piano when she was
in kindergarten.
She was able to do a somersault when she was
in kindergarten.
___________________________________
___________________________________
Now she’s a junior high school student she is
able to have a cell phone.
___________________________________
___________________________________
She can play the piano now.
___________________________________
___________________________________
She isn’t able to stay up late on the weekends.
___________________________________
___________________________________
When she’s a high school student, she’ll be able
to drive to school.
___________________________________
___________________________________
She’ll be able to wear makeup to school.
___________________________________
___________________________________
She won’t be able to have a boyfriend.
_________________________________
________________________________
Write long answers:
Was Rika able to read story books when she
was in kindergarten?
No, she wasn’t. She wasn’t able to read storybooks when
she was in kindergarten.
Was she able to run in the relay?
___________________________________
___________________________________
Can she play basketball now?
___________________________________
___________________________________
Is she able to ride a scooter to school now?
___________________________________
___________________________________
Will she be able to rider a scooter to school
next year?
___________________________________
___________________________________
Make the questions:
_____________________________________
_________________________________
Yes, she could. She could swing on the
monkey bars when she was in kindergarten.
_____________________________________
_________________________________
Yes, she was. She was able to make her
mum a Mother’s Day card all by herself.
_____________________________________
_________________________________
No, she isn’t. She isn’t able to wear makeup
to school now.
_____________________________________
_________________________________
Yes, she will. She will be able to have a cell
phone next year.
 KEY

When I was at kindergarten I still needed help to do a lot of things. I

could/was able to put on my pajamas, but I couldn’t/wasn’t able to do
the buttons up (1) by myself. I could/was able to read picture books
(2), but I couldn’t/wasn’t able to read story books by myself. There
were lots of things I could do though! My friends and I could/were able
to clean our classroom (3) and I could/was able to build a big snowman
(4) all by myself! I was good at sports, too. I could/was able to swing
on the monkey bars, though I couldn’t/wasn’t able to do a somersault
(5) like my brother. And I was so happy because I was able to run in
the relay on sports day (6). I liked art as well. I was so proud the day
I was able to make my mum a mother’s day card (7) all by myself!

Now I’m a Junior High School Student. Of course I’m able to do many
more things. For example, now I can / ‘m able to ride my bike to school
(8) and my friends and I can / are able to hang out together (9) on the
weekends. We can’t / aren’t able to go to the city (10) without one of
our parents, though. I am a member of the basketball club, so now I
can / ‘m able to play basketball (11) as well. And, of course, I can / ‘m
able to study hard (12), too! Recently I have started piano lessons, so
I can play the piano a little (13), although I can’t / ‘m not able to play
it very well yet. And best of all, I can / ‘m able to stay up till 11pm
(14) and watch my favorite TV programs on the weekends.

Next year I’ll be a high school student. I’m really looking forward to it, as I’ll be able to do so
many more things then. First, my parents say I ‘ll be able to have a cell phone (15) if I do well in my
entrance exam, although I won’t be able to download music (16) with it, as my parents say I can
continue to do that on our home computer. School will be much more fun, too! My friends and I will
be able to wear a cute uniform (17) and we will be able to (18) wear makeup to school (18). And,
even better, I ‘ll be able to ride a scooter to school (19) after I get my license. I’m going to
continue to have piano lessons, so I hope I ‘ll be able to play the piano (20) in our school band
concerts.
 Write True or False. If the answer is true, rewrite
it in other words (if possible) to mean the same thing.
If the answer is false, correct it. Study the examples
first:
Rika could do her buttons up when she was in
kindergarten.
False. Rika couldn’t do her buttons up when she was
in kindergarten.
She couldn’t play the piano when she was in
kindergarten.
True. She wasn’t able to play the piano when she was
in kindergarten.
She was able to do a somersault when she was
in kindergarten.
False. She wasn’t able to do a somersault
when she was in kindergarten.
Now she’s a junior high school student she is
able to have a cell phone.
False. She isn’t able to have a cell phone
now.
She can play the piano now.
True. She’s able to play the piano now.
She isn’t able to stay up late on the weekends.
False. She’s able to stay up late/until llpm
on the weekends.
When she’s a high school student, she’ll be able
to drive to school.
False. When she’s a high school student,
she won’t be able to drive to school. (She’ll
be able to ride a scooter to school).
She’ll be able to wear makeup to school.
True. She’ll be able to wear makeup to
school.
She won’t be able to have a boyfriend.
False. She’ll be able to have a boyfriend.
Write long answers:
Was Rika able to read story books when she
was in kindergarten?
No, she wasn’t. She wasn’t able to read storybooks when
she was in kindergarten.
Was she able to run in the relay?
Yes, she was. She was able to run in the
relay.
Can she play basketball now?
Yes, she can. She can play basketball now.
Is she able to ride a scooter to school now?
No, she isn’t. She isn’t able to ride a
scooter to school now.
Will she be able to rider a scooter to school
next year?
Yes, she will. She’ll be able to ride a
scooter to school next year.
Make the questions:
Could she swing on the monkey bars when she
was in kindergarten?
Yes, she could. She could swing on the
monkey bars when she was in kindergarten.
Was she able to make her mum a Mother’s Day
card all by herself?
Yes, she was. She was able to make her
mum a Mother’s Day card all by herself.
Is she able to wear makeup to school now?
No, she isn’t. She isn’t able to wear makeup
to school now.
Will she be able to have a cell phone next
year?
Yes, she will. She will be able to have a cell
phone next year.