Put in 'can', 'can't', 'could' or 'couldn't'. If none of these is possible:
1) __________ you swim when you were 10?
2) We ________get to the meeting on time yesterday, because the train was delayed by one hour.
3) He _________ arrive at the party on time, even after missing the train, so he was very pleased.
4) He's amazing, he ________ speak five languages, including Chinese.
5) I _________ drive a car until I was 34. Then I moved to the countryside, so I had to learn..
6) I looked everywhere for my glasses but I ______ find them anywhere.
7) I searched for your house for ages. luckily I ________ find it in the end.
8) She's seven years old, but she _________ read yet. Her parents are getting her extra lessons.
9) I read the book three times, but I _________ understand it.
10) James ________ speak Japanese when he lived in Japan, but he's forgotten most of it now.
11) I __________ understand the chapter we had to read for homework. It was so difficult.
12) I ___________ lift this box - it's too heavy! Would you help me?
13) Lucy ___________ make it to our meeting after all. She's stuck in traffic.
14) John ___________ play tennis really well. He's the champion of his club.
15) Unfortunately, I really _________ sing at all. No-one in my family is musical either..
16) When the car broke down I was really pleased because I _______ solved the problem.
17) Julian ________ played excellent golf when he was only ten.
18) My grandmother __________ used a computer until last month. Since then she's been taking lessons at the library.
19) I _______ open this window! I think it's stuck.
20) Gill
play the piano. She has never studied it.
[ . ]
Soluções para a tarefa
Resposta:
1) Could you swim when you were 10?
2) We couldn't get to the meeting on time yesterday, because the train was delayed by one hour.
3) He could arrive at the party on time, even after missing the train, so he was very pleased.
4) He's amazing, he can speak five languages, including Chinese.
5) I couldn't drive a car until I was 34. Then I moved to the countryside, so I had to learn..
6) I looked everywhere for my glasses but I couldn't find them anywhere.
7) I searched for your house for ages. luckily I could find it in the end.
8) She's seven years old, but she can't read yet. Her parents are getting her extra lessons.
9) I read the book three times, but I couldn't understand it.
10) James could speak Japanese when he lived in Japan, but he's forgotten most of it now.
11) I couldn't understand the chapter we had to read for homework. It was so difficult.
12) I can't lift this box - it's too heavy! Would you help me?
13) Lucy can't make it to our meeting after all. She's stuck in traffic.
14) John can play tennis really well. He's the champion of his club.
15) Unfortunately, I really can't sing at all. No-one in my family is musical either..
16) When the car broke down I was really pleased because I could solved the problem.
17) Julian could played excellent golf when he was only ten.
18) My grandmother couldn't used a computer until last month. Since then she's been taking lessons at the library.
19) I can't open this window! I think it's stuck.
20) Gill can't play the piano. She has never studied it.
Explicação:
Can e Could são utilizados para expressar a habilidade de fazer algo como no caso 14 e 16 que mencionam a habilidade de John de jogar tênis e o fato de que a pessoa pode resolver o problema com o carro depois dele ter quebrado. A diferença de ambos é que can é utilizado para sentenças no presente já could normalmente é usado em sentenças no passado, apesar de existir exceções como o caso 7.
Can't e Couldn't são utilizados para expressar a falta de habilidade para fazer algo como no caso 19 e 18 que mencionam o fato da pessoa não conseguir abrir a janela ou a avó não saber usar o computador até o mês passado. A diferença de ambos é que can't é usado em uma negação com o tempo verbal presente e couldn't é usado em uma negação com o tempo verbal passado, apesar de existir exceções como no caso 6.