ASSIGNMENT 10: COULD, COULDN'T

Due Date: March 11

Could

Read the explanation:

Could is an auxiliary verb, a modal auxiliary verb. We use could to:

• talk about past possibility or ability
• make requests

Structure of could

subject

+

auxiliary verb      could

+

main verb

The main verb is always the bare infinitive (infinitive without to).

	subject	auxiliary verb could	main verb
+	My grandmother	could	swim.
-	She	could not	walk.
		couldn't
?	Could	your grandmother	swim?

Notice that:

• Could is invariable. There is only one form: could
• The main verb is always the bare infinitive.

The main verb is always the bare infinitive (infinitive without to). We cannot say: I could to play tennis.

Use of could

could for past possibility or ability

We use could to talk about what was possible in the past, what we were able or free to do:

• I could swim when I was 5 years old.
• My grandmother could speak seven languages.
• When we arrived home, we could not open the door. (...couldn't open the door.)
• Could you understand what he was saying?

Print and complete by hand the following sheet:

Exercise