GRAMMAR: CAN/ COULD/ BE ABLE TO Sunday, April 17, 2011

1 Complete the sentences, using the correct form of can, could or be able to.

She ……can……. Understand quite a lot of English but she …..can’t…..speak it.

1. I don’t think I …………………… go on holiday this year, I ………………afford it.

2. I …………..find my way anywhere when I first came to this town.
3. My last job was near my home. So I ……………………….walk to work.
4. I hope to ……………………….work abroad when I leave university.
5. I ……………………….phone you last night because our phone wasn’t working.
6. My girlfriend bought a car last year so we ………………..go out a lot more since then.

2 Complete the text, using could (not) or the correct form of be able to. If two answers are possible,
choose one.

Jane ………………..swims when she was a baby. Her parents lived next door to a
swimming pool so they ………………….. take her swimming every day. By this time
she was five, she ………………………….swim twenty lengths of the pool.
When she started school, it was no longer possible to go to the pool each day
but she went as often as she ……………………Soon, she started entering competitions
and she …………….win them all without any difficulty.
She wanted to have a swimming coach but her parents ……………………. (not) afford
to pay for one.
However, she won the National Junior Championship when she was only thirteen.
Her teachers think that next year she ………………………….win the Senior
Championship, too, if she has good coach.
Verb tenses

Put tick (√) by the correct sentences, and cross (x) by the wrong one.

a) I’ve been writing two letters.

b) I’ve been written two letters.

1- a) I saw Jane last night.

b) I’ve seen Janet last night.

2- a) I’ve been reading that book twice.

b) I’ve read that book twice.

3- (It’s 11 o’clock in the morning.)

a) She phoned me twice this morning.
GRAMMAR: CAN/ COULD/ BE ABLE TO Sunday, April 17, 2011

b) She’s phoned me twice this morning.

4- a) I’ve been learning English for four years now

b) I learnt English for four years now.

5- a) How many times have you been out this week?

b) How many times have you been going out this week?

6- a) I’ve been reading this morning.

b) I’ve read this morning.

7- a) Where have you bought those trousers?

b) Where did you buy those trousers?

8- a) She hasn’t done her exams yet.

b) She hasn’t been doing her exams yet.

9- a) Did you already see that film?

b) Have you already seen that film?

10- a) You’ve been crying. What’s the matter?

b) You’ve cried. What’s the matter?