The document contains exercises focused on using modal verbs related to ability, such as 'can', 'can't', 'could', and 'was/were able to'. It includes sentence completion tasks and prompts for expressing ability in various contexts. The exercises are designed to help learners practice and understand the nuances of expressing capability in English.

1. ABILITY-EXERCISES
EXERCISE 1: Complete the sentences with CAN, CAN’T, COULD, COULDN’T, or WAS/WERE ABLE TO.
Use WAS/WERE ABLE TO only when COULD is not possible.
1. My uncle was a wonderful craftsman. He made beautiful things out of wood. But he
………………………………… read or write because he never went to school.
2. An illiterate person is someone who ………………………………… neither read nor write.
3. When I was younger, I ………………………………… stay up past midnight and get up at dawn
feeling refreshed and ready to go. I ………………………………… do that any longer now that I am
middle-aged.
4. I’m locked in. I ………………………………… get out!
5. Omar to Ayoub: ………………………………… you stand on your head?
Ayoub: I …………………………………when I was at school but I …………………………………now.
6. When I was a child, I ………………………………… understand adults, and now that I am an adult I
………………………………… understand children.
7. Nora: We are really in trouble. I ………………………………… remember the address.
Souad: ………………………………… you even remember the name of the street?
8. He was very strong. He ………………………………… ski all day and dance all night.
9. The car plunged into the river. The driver …………………………………get out by the passengers
were drowned.
10. ………………………………… you walk or did they carry you?
11. I had no key so I ………………………………… lock the door.
12. I knew the town so I ………………………………… advise him where to go.
13. When I arrived, everyone was asleep. Fortunately I ………………………………… wake my sister and
she let me in.
14. I was a long way from the stage at the theater. I ………………………………… see alright but I
………………………………… hear very well.
15. When the garage had repaired our car, we ………………………………… continue our journey.
EXERCISE 2: Express ability in the following sentences, affirmative or negative. Pay special attention
to the time in the sentence.
1. I’m so happy! I ………………………………… (find) presents for all the family. Now I’m ready to fly
back home from Mecca.
2. When the fog lifts, we ………………………………… (see) clearly.
3. You have put too much stuff in your backpack. You ………………………………… (never, carry) all
that much.
4. The ambulance arrived quickly and they ………………………………… (save) everyone.
5. He ………………………………… (swim) since he was eleven.
6. Human beings would give anything to ………………………………… (see) the future.
7. Don’t try to look at all the pictures in the art museum. Otherwise, when you get home, you
………………………………… (remember) any of them.
8. One day I ………………………………… (run) a marathon, but I need to practice first.
9. He speaks a lot on the phone and he’ll have a problem. At the end of the month, Maroc
Telecom will send him an enormous telephone bill which he ………………………………… (pay).