The document discusses the modal verbs "can" and "could" and their various uses including ability, possibility, requests, offers, suggestions, permission, asking permission, and prohibition. It provides examples of how "can" and "could" are used for present and past ability, possibility in the past, and comparisons between "could" for repeated past ability versus "was/were able to" for a single past ability. There are also examples of choosing the correct modal verb in different sentence contexts.

1. Modal Verb Can

2. Modal verb + to Infinitive Can play tennis Must work hard May stay Should go

3. Can Can’t Could Couldn’t Past Polite Unreal

4. Present: I can speak English Past: I could read when I was 5 What could you do when you were five?

5. Polite form Could you repeat that? Could you tell me the way to the station? Could you tell me the time?

6. Unreal form If only I could fly! I wish I could speak fluent English! If I could be free now, I would go to the cinema

7. Ability I can speak French He can swim well We can’t do that

8. Possibility Could / / John is late, he could be stuck in traffic May Might

9. Request Could you speak up, please? Can you help me? Could you do me a favour?

10. Offer Can I help you? Can I get you a drink? Would you like a drink? Shall I open the window?

11. Suggestions We could go to the cinema We can stay at home and watch TV What shall we do tonight?

12. Permission You can stay if you like You may come in

13. Asking for Permission Can I stay? Can I speak to Nick, please? May I see Nick , please?

14. Prohibition You can’t go there You can’t drink and drive

15. Can Be able to am was Is able to able to are were Shall Will be able to

16. Could- Was able to (Ability in the past) Could past repeated action Was able to past single action

17. Compare: He could run very fast when he was young ( He could do it repeatedly in the past) She was able to climb to the top of the mountain (= She managed to climb to the top of the mountain)

18. Choose the correct answer: Todd was a very talented child. I know. He….play the piano well when he was seven. A couldn’t B could C can

19. Choose the correct answer: 2. How was the test? Easy. All the children….pass it A were able to B could C can’t

20. Choose the correct answer: 3. What are you doing this summer? I hope I’ll….go on holiday with my friends A could B be able to C can

21. Choose the correct answer: 4. I’ve just taken a loaf out of the oven. Oh , that’s why I …. smell fresh bread when I came home A could B was able to C can’t