Could vs. Be able to
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Lesson 300
Could vs. Be able to
Dica
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COULD vs. WAS/WERE ABLE TO

Podemos usar tanto 'could' como 'were able to' para falar sobre coisas que poderíamos fazer no passado.
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CORRETO: I could eat an entire cake when I was five, but I can't anymore.

CORRETO: I was able to eat an entire cake when I was five, but I can't anymore.
Dica
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COULD vs. WAS/WERE ABLE TO

1. APENAS é usado 'was/were able to' se nós estamos falando sobre o que aconteceu em uma determinada situação ou estamos nos referindo a uma conquista no passado.

CORRETO: I was able to get a ticket to the concert.
INCORRETO: I could get a ticket to the concert.

Aqui, obter bilhetes para um concerto particular foi algo pontual, não é algo que uma pessoa poderia fazer o tempo todo. Portanto, APENAS é usado 'was/were able to' neste caso
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2. No entanto, com os verbos de estado (verbos de percepção como see, hear; ou verbos de pensamento como understand), pode ser usado tanto 'could' como 'was/were able to'.

CORRETO: I could see the rainbow from my window.
CORRETO: I was able to see the rainbow from my window.

3. Na forma negativa, podem ser usados ambos, mesmo se estamos a falar de um evento em particular.
CORRETO: I wasn't able to get a ticket to the concert.
CORRETO: I couldn't get a ticket to the concert.
Uma vez que a frase é negativa, nós podemos usar ambos.
Selecione a palavra que falta no espaço em branco.
______
Could you
Can you
Were you able to
Selecione a palavra que falta no espaço em branco.
When she was a child she ______
could
was able to
Both (could/was able to)
Selecione a palavra que falta no espaço em branco.
I ______
couldn't
wasn't able to
Both (couldn't/wasn't able to)
Selecione a palavra que falta no espaço em branco.
Fortunately they ______
could
were able to
Both (could/were able to)
Selecione a palavra que falta no espaço em branco.
Since the exam was difficult only a few students ______
could
are able to
were able to
Selecione a palavra que falta no espaço em branco.
She woke up early so she ______
was able to went
was able to gone
was able to go
Selecione a palavra que falta no espaço em branco.
There were mosquitoes so I ______
wasn't able to
couldn't
Both (couldn't/was not able to)
Selecione a palavra que falta no espaço em branco.
She hadn't saved money so she ______
wasn't able to
couldn't
Both (couldn't/wasn't able to)
Selecione a palavra que falta no espaço em branco.
It stopped raining so they ______
were able to
could
both (were able to/could)
Selecione a palavra que falta no espaço em branco.
(Pergunta com armadilha!)
He studied hard so that he ______
could
was able to
(both)
Selecione a palavra que falta no espaço em branco.
There was no sun so the clothes ______
were not able to
couldn't
'Summary - Use of could/ Was able to'^~^'typefacestyle'
General ability in the past (Habilidade geral no passado) Pode ser usado tanto could quanto was able to
Specific achievement or success at a particular situation (Realização ou sucesso específico em uma determinada situação) Só pode ser usado was able to
With verbs of sense or thinking (see, hear, smell, understand, remember) (Com verbos de sentido ou pensamento) Pode ser usado tanto could quanto was able to
In negative situations (em situações negativas) Pode ser usado tanto could quanto was able to
Previous Lesson
Lesson299
Modais de habilidade (can, could, be able to)