NATIONAL AUTONOMOUS UNIVERSITY OF NICARAGUA, MANAGUA

UNAN – MANAGUA
RUBÉN DARÍO UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

AREA OF EDUCATIONAL KNOWLEDGE, ARTS, AND HUMANITY

DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
MAJOR: ENGLISH

Date: Thursday, April 10th, 2025

Tutoring Program
Group: 4th year
Schedule: 11:20 AM – 12:50 PM
Room: 2601
Topic: Modal verbs can and could / be able to

Can vs Could

1. Possibility and impossibility

a. We use could to show that something is possible, but not certain:

They could come by car. (= Maybe they will come by car.)

They could be at home. (= Maybe they are at home.)

b. We use can to make general statements about what is possible:

 It can be very cold here in winter. (= It is sometimes very cold here in winter.)
You can easily get lost in this town. (= People often get lost in this town.)

c. We use can't or cannot to say that something is impossible:

That can't be true.

You cannot be serious.

2. Ability

a. We use can and can't to talk about someone's skill or general abilities:

She can speak several languages.

He can swim like a fish.
They can't dance very well.

b. We use can and can't to talk about the ability to do something at a specific time in
the present or future:

I can see you.

Help! I can't breathe.

c. We use could and couldn't to talk about the past:

She could speak several languages.

They couldn't dance very well.

3. Permission

- We use can to ask for permission to do something:

Can I ask a question, please?

Can we go home now?

**Could is more formal and polite than can:

Could I ask a question please?

Could we go home now?
 - We use can to give permission:

You can go home now.

You can borrow my pen if you like.

- We use can to say that someone has permission to do something:

We can go out whenever we want.

Students can travel for free.

- We use can't to refuse permission or say that someone does not have permission:

You can't go home yet.

Students can't travel for free.

4. Requests

We use could you … as a polite way of telling or asking someone to do something:

Could you take a message, please?

Could I have my bill, please?

**Can is less polite:

Can you take a message, please?

5. Offers

1. We use can I … to make offers:

Can I help you?

Can I do that for you?

2. We sometimes say I can ... or I could ... to make an offer:

I can do that for you if you like.

I could give you a lift to the station. (sounds more polite)

Suggestions
 a. We use could to make suggestions:

We could meet at the weekend.

You could eat out tonight.

Be able to

Abilities

Be able to is like can. We use it to talk about abilities. We often use it in places where it is
not possible to use can. For example, it isn’t possible to use can after another modal verb:

She won’t be able to concentrate.

Not: She won’t can concentrate.

He should be able to work in a team.

Not: He should can work in a team.

Be able to is a more formal alternative to can:

I am very sorry but I am not able to give you that information. (or, less formal: I
cannot give you that information.)

Past achievement: could or was/were able to?

We usually use was/were able to, not could to talk about past achievements in affirmative
clauses. This is because they are facts, rather than possibilities something that happened in
a certain time in the past:

The young man was able to leave the car after the accident.

Not: The young man could leave the car after the accident.

Only one person was able to beat the record.

Not: Only one person could beat the record.

 We use couldn’t or, more formally, wasn’t/weren’t able to in negative clauses:

We weren’t able to finish the marathon in under four hours. (or We couldn’t finish
the marathon …)

Can Could Be able to

It is used for possibilities, It is used in the past to talk Be able to is used to indicate
abilities. about abilities and ability.
- It can be very hot here possibilities.
during summer. - When I was - I am able to read 10
- I can swim. younger, I could pages in 2 minutes.
run 15 km.
- We could have
gone to the concert
last night.

When used to indicate It is used to as for

permission or offer, it is more permission or offers,
informal, but correct. unlike can, could is more
- Can I go to the formal and polite.
restroom? - Could I go to the
- I can help you with that. restroom?
- I could help you
with that.

Can is only used in the present Could is used in the past. Unlike can and could, be able
tense. - I could run 15 km to can be used in all tenses.
- She can sing tonight. when I was 20. - Mary is able to sing.
- She will can sing tonight - My parents could - John was not able to
(incorrect). dance very well leave the office early.
when they were
young.

The negative form of can is The negative form of could Since it can be used in all
“cannot or can’t”. is could not or couldn’t. tenses, we form the negative
- I can’t go with you. Couldn’t means that form by following the structure
- They cannot perform someone did not have the that rules all tenses.
tonight, ability to do something or - I won´t be able to go to
was not able to do it. the university tomorrow.
- When I was 10, I - They have never been
couldn’t swim. able to control their
- I couldn’t go with anger.
them since I was
sick.
Activity

1. Reading

a. Students read a short article about people from different countries and the
unique skills they have.

Article: Abilities Around the World

Hello everyone! Today, we're celebrating the amazing abilities of people

from all corners of the globe. It's fascinating to see the diverse talents and
skills that individuals possess.

Let's start in Brazil. Meet Maria. Maria can dance the samba beautifully.
Her movements are so fluid and full of energy; she is able to captivate any
audience with her performances. She started learning when she was just a
child, and now she can even teach others the intricate steps.

Next, we travel to Japan. Last year, Tom was able to achieve a long-time
dream: he could climb the majestic Mount Fuji. It was a challenging
experience, but his determination and physical fitness allowed him to reach
the summit. Before the climb, he had to be able to hike for long distances to
prepare.

In India, we have Priya. Priya can speak three languages fluently: Hindi,
English, and Spanish. She is able to switch between them effortlessly, which
is incredibly helpful in her work as a translator. When she was younger, she
could understand basic French, but she hasn't practiced it recently.

Finally, let's visit Canada. Jean-Pierre can build incredible ice sculptures.
He is able to transform blocks of ice into stunning works of art. He says that
when he first started, he could only create simple shapes, but with years of
practice, his skills have become truly remarkable.

It's wonderful to see how people around the world develop such unique and
impressive abilities. What special skills do you have?
 b. Then, please answer the following questions based on the article you have
already read:

1. What is Maria from Brazil able to do?

2. What did Tom from Japan manage to do last year?
3. How many languages can Priya from India speak fluently?
4. What is Jean-Pierre from Canada skilled at doing?
5. What could Tom do to prepare for climbing Mount Fuji?
6. What could Priya understand when she was younger?
7. What could Jean-Pierre only create when he first started making ice
sculptures?
8. What is one way Maria is now able to use her dance skills?

2. Writing

A. Write a short paragraph about your childhood abilities vs. your current ones
using the target language. The paragraph must be 5 lines long.

Example:
When I was 5, I couldn’t ride a bike. But now, I can ride for hours. Last year, I
was able to complete a 50 km ride…

B. Then, change your paragraph with one classmate, and provide feedback each
other. Finally, the teacher will choose some of the learners to share their
paragraphs with the class.

3. Listening

A. Learners listen to an audio of an athlete talking about his past and current
performance. Then, students will solve the exercises below:

I. Multiple-Choice Question:

➢ What was the athlete's ability like when he first started running?

a) He could barely run a full lap without stopping.

b) He could already run long distances easily.
c) He was able to compete in international races.
 d) He could run a mile in under four minutes.

➢ What was a significant milestone for the athlete in his journey of

improving his running ability?

a) Winning his first international race.

b) Running a mile in exactly four minutes.
c) Receiving advice from other professional runners.
d) Being able to run a 5k without stopping.

➢ According to the athlete, what is essential for achieving goals,

based on his coach's advice?

a) Having the latest running technology.

b) Eating a strict diet.
c) Being persistent.
d) Finding the perfect running partner.

II. True or False Exercise:

Read the following statements and write T for true and F for false based on
the audio you already listened to.

1. The athlete is currently unable to run a mile in under four minutes. __

2. When the athlete began training, he could already run 5 kilometers
without stopping. __
3. The athlete's coach encouraged him to be persistent in order to
achieve his goals. __
4. Injuries never present a challenge for the athlete in his training. __
5. The athlete believes the younger version of himself would be
surprised by his current running abilities. __
4. Interview
a. Work in pairs. Then, interview your classmate using these questions:
• What can you do well?
• What could you do when you were a child but can’t now?
• Have you ever been able to do something unusual?

(Don’t forget to switch roles) ***

b. Then, each student reports their partner’s answers to the class.