grammar query

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ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > grammar query

grammar query

juliag

grammar query

Hi everyone,

Hope you �re all having a nice day.

I was wondering if someone could help me with a grammar query that has come up as I �m making a print.

It �s to do with could and was/were able to.

I know that the basic rules is that in the affirmative could is used for general ability and was/were able to for specific situations with the sense of "managed to do smthing." Whereas the negative doesn �t make such a distinction and either couldn �t or wasn �t able to is possible.

I was just wondering about the interrogative.

It would seem to me that it follows the same rule as the affirmative, but I can �t find it anywhere in black and white.

Could somebody please help me by letting me know if this is the case or not?

Many thanks in advance for your time and kindness in answering me.

Hugs to all

Julia

2 Aug 2010

kodora

1.For ability only,either can be used:
When I was young I could/was able to climb any tree in the forest.
2.For ability +particular action was able to:
Although the pilot was badly hurt he was able to explain what had happened.
The boat capsized quite near the bank so the children were able to swim to safety.

However, this rule is relaxed in the negative when the action did not take place, and with verbs of the senses.
He read the message but he couldn �t/wasn �t able to understand it.
I could /was able to see him through the window.
(A Practical English Grammar, Thomson-Martinet)
So I gather the interrogative follows the same rules.
Hugs from Greece
Dora

2 Aug 2010

juliag

Thank you dear Dora for such a full and helpful answer

2 Aug 2010