iMadrassa

Expressing Ability and Possibility

I Expressing possibility:
1 Observe and Learn
A Read the sentences below and learn:

Possibility in the present or in the future:

They can organize another demonstration

 → It is possible that they organize another demonstration.

Possibility in the past:

The two enemy countries could prevent the armed conflict but they did not.

It was possible for the two enemy countries to prevent the war .(there was an opportunity for)  

Possibility is when there is/ was a chance that something can/ could  happen or be true. It does not mean that it actually happens/ or happened. 

Be careful

After the modals can / could the verb is not conjugated :

Subject + can / cannot + stem

Subject + could / could not + stem

II Expressing Impossibility
1 Observe and Learn
A Read the sentences below and learn:

Impossibility in the present or in the future:

 I cannot agree with you on that point 

It is impossible for me to agree with you on that point.

Be careful:

 

  1. In speech we can use the abbreviation can’t instead of cannot and couldn’t instead of  could not.
  2. The modals can and could have other uses. 

We also use 'can'  to talk about:

''ability''

I can speak French.

ask or give permission:

Can I speak to you or are you too busy?

You can use my phone.

 

requests and instructions

Can I help?

We can use 'can't' for deduction. 

You can't be hungry. You've just eaten.

We also use ‘could' to talk about:

Polite formal requests.  

Could I bother you for a moment?

We are in summer, but it could rain later. (future possibility but it is improbable)

suggestion:

You could go there by train, it’s more practical. 

III Expressing Ability and inability
1 Observe and Learn
A Read the sentences below and learn:

Tenses

Expressing Ability

Expressing Inability

present simple

 Subject + am / is/ are able to + stem

Example:

The UN Security Council is able to make decisions

 

Subject + am / is / are not able to + stem

Subject + am / is / areunable to + stem

Example:

The UN General Assembly is not able to make decision, it only makes recommendations.

 Future

 Subject + will be able to + stem

Example:

The citizens will be able to change the law if they continue demonstrating in the streets.

 Subject + will not be able to + stem

Subject + willbeunable to + stem

Example:

Ban Ki Mon will not be able to make anything if the two sides of the conflict refuse to negotiate.

 

 Past

 Subject + was/ were able to + stem

Example:

Martin Luther King was able to gather thousands of Americans in the 1963 march.

 

 Subject + was/ were not able to + stem

Subject + was/ were unable to + stem

Example:

The UN was not able to settle the Syrian conflict.

 

present perfect

 Subject + have/ has been able to + stem

Example:

The UNHCR has been able to help many refugees in Africa.

 Subject + have/ has not been able to + stem

Subject + have/ has beenunable to + stem

Example:

People have not been able to reduce war damage in the world.

 

when the action is in the past and time is not mentioned we do not use the past simple (stem + ed) we use instead the present perfect (have/ has+ past participle)

could” does not express past ability, so “could” cannot replace “was/were able to”.

  • "be able to" expresses  ability
  • am / is / are able to can be replaced by “can” to express ability in the present
  •  am / is / are not able to can be replaced by “cannot/ can’t”  to express inability in the present
  • To express past ability  “was/ were able to”  can be replaced by  “managed to” and “succeeded in” especially when something was difficult to do
  • To express past inability  “was/ were not able to”  can be replaced by  “could not/ couldn’t
  • إختبارات
  • 10
  • الأجوبة الصحيحة
  • False
  • الأجوبة الخاطئة
  • False
  • مجموع النقاط
  • False

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