Name: Could vs Was able to - English In A Minute
Uploaded: 2020-05-26T18:05:15.000Z
Duration: 1 min 2 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

To-infinitive

When do we use 'could' and 'was able to' to talk

The imperative

If it's a positive sentence, ask yourself

if it's a general ability - which uses 'could',

or a specific achievement - which usually

But we do use 'could' for a specific event,

if we use verbs related to senses or thought processes.

If the sentence is negative, it's much easier –

'I couldn't do much at school the next day.'

Negative or positive? Specific or general?

Are there any senses or thought processes?

'What could you do when you were younger?'

'What could you see or hear while you were doing it?'