A BI L IT Y IN TH E P A S T

•WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ABILITY IN THE PAST, WE CAN USE

COULD/COULDN’T, MANAGED TO, WAS/WERE ABLE TO OR
SUCCEEDED (IN DOING). HOWEVER, THERE ARE DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN THEM.
 COULD

•WE USE COULD / COULDN’T TO TALK ABOUT GENERAL ABILITY IN

THE PAST.
•EXAMPLE: MY BROTHER COULDN’T RIDE A BIKE UNTIL HE WAS
TWELVE. I COULD DO MATHS IN MY HEAD WHEN I WAS A KID.
WHEN WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT NO ABILITY ON A SPECIFIC
OCCASION IN THE PAST, WE HAVE THREE POSSIBILITIES:

• I LISTENED, BUT I COULDN’T HEAR ANYTHING.

• I WORKED HARD, BUT I DIDN’T MANAGE TO FINISH EVERYTHING.
• I HURT MY LEG AND I WASN’T ABLE TO WALK FOR TWO WEEKS.
WHEN WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT ABILITY ON A SPECIFIC
OCCASION IN THE PAST, WE DON’T USE COULD:

•THE WALL WAS VERY HIGH BUT WE MANAGED TO CLIMB OVER IT.
(NOT: WE COULD CLIMB OVER IT.)
•BECAUSE WE BOUGHT OUR TICKETS A LONG TIME IN ADVANCE,
WE WERE ABLE TO GET THEM QUITE CHEAPLY. (NOT: WE COULD
GET THEM …)
•WE USE SUCCEEDED (IN DOING) TO EMPHASIZE THAT SOMETHING
WAS DIFFICULT IN THE PAST BUT WE WERE ABLE TO DO IT.
•EXAMPLE: I HAD TO WAIT FOR HOURS, BUT I SUCCEEDED IN
GETTING TICKETS