When we talk about ability, we mean two things.

First, we mean general ability. This is something that once you have learned you can do any time
you want, like being able to read or swim or speak a language, for example.

The other kind of ability is specific ability. This mean something that you can or can't do in one
particular situation. For example, being able to lift something heavy, or find somewhere you are
looking for.

Present:

can / can't (for both general and specific ability)

 I can play the piano.

 She can speak English.
 He can't drive – he's too tired.
 We can't come now.

Past:

could / couldn't (for general ability)

 I could read when I was four.

 She could speak French when she was a child, but now she has forgotten it.
 He couldn't dance at all until he took lessons.
 My grandfather couldn't swim.

Be able to / couldn’t

We use these modals to express a specific ability. For be able to, we can express present (is/are),
past (was/were) or future (be going to / Will)

 When the computer crashed yesterday, i was able to fix it.

 She was able to aprove the exam, even thought she didn’t study.
 He called us because he couldn’t find the house.
 I coudn’t open the window / I wasn’t able to open the window.
Will/won’t be able to

We use will or won’t to express general ability in the future.

 At the end of the course, you will be able to make your own website.
 He won’t be able to speak Japanese in a few a weeks. It takes months!

Can / can’t

We use can or can’t to express specific ability in the future, throught time expressions.

 I can help you tomorrow.

 I can’t come to the party.

Modals of Ability 1
Put in 'can', 'can't', 'could' or 'couldn't'. If none of these is possible use 'be able to' in the
correct tense.

1)  you swim when you were 10?

2) We  get to the meeting on time yesterday, because the train was delayed by
one hour.

3) He  arrive at the party on time, even after missing the train, so he was very
pleased.

4) He's amazing, he  speak five languages, including Chinese.

5) I  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  find them anywhere.

7) I searched for your house for ages. luckily I  find it in the end.

8) She's seven years old, but she  read yet. Her parents are getting her extra
lessons.

9) I read the book three times, but I  understand it.

10) James  speak Japanese when he lived in Japan, but he's forgotten most of it
now.

11) I  understand the chapter we had to read for homework. It was so difficult.

12) I  lift this box - it's too heavy! Would you help me?

13) Lucy  make it to our meeting after all. She's stuck in traffic.

14) John  play tennis really well. He's champion of his club.

15) Unfortunately, I really  sing at all. No-one in my family is musical either.

16) When the car broke down I was really pleased because I  solve the
problem.

17) Julian  play excellent golf when he was only ten.

18) My grandmother  use a computer until last month. Since then she's been
taking lessons at the library.

19) I  open this window! I think it's stuck.

20) Gill  play the piano. She has never studied it.