Modals of Ability/Permission: Can, Could – English Grammar Exercises for A2
Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1 When I was five, I ______ run very fast, but now I get tired easily.
(a) can
(b) could
(c) could to
2 I ______ speak French when I lived in Paris as a kid, but I forgot it all!
(a) could
(b) can
(c) couldn’t
3 When you were little, ______ you ride a bike without training wheels?
(a) can
(b) did can
(c) could
4 I ______ swim until I was ten years old. I was so afraid of the water!
(a) couldn’t
(b) didn’t could
(c) wasn’t can
5 My brother ______ climb the tallest trees in our garden when he was a boy.
(a) coulds
(b) could
(c) can
6 We didn’t have the internet back then, so we ______ play video games all day like kids do now.
(a) didn’t can
(b) can’t
(c) couldn’t
7 ______ your grandfather play the piano when he was younger?
(a) Could
(b) Did could
(c) Can
8 I ______ eat a whole pizza by myself when I was a teenager, but not anymore!
(a) can
(b) could ate
(c) could
9 Before I got glasses in primary school, I ______ see the words on the blackboard clearly.
(a) couldn’t
(b) can’t
(c) couldn’t to
10 “______ you stay up late when you were a kid?” “No, my parents were very strict.”
(a) Were you could
(b) Could
(c) Can
11 When I was seven, I ______ really well, but I stopped practicing as I grew up.
(a) could draw
(b) could drew
(c) could drawing
12 My sister and I ______ play outside until it got dark without worrying about anything.
(a) can
(b) could to
(c) could
13 I loved reading when I was your age. I ______ a thick book in just one day!
(a) could readed
(b) could read
(c) can read
14 When we were on summer holidays, we ______ sleep in as late as we wanted.
(a) did could
(b) can’t
(c) could
15 Even though I practiced every day, I ______ beat my older brother at chess.
(a) couldn’t
(b) wasn’t could
(c) can’t
16 ______ understand what the adults were talking about when you were five?
(a) Did you can
(b) Could you
(c) Could you to
17 I was a very shy child. I ______ make friends easily at school.
(a) can’t
(b) couldn’t
(c) didn’t could
18 By the time I was six, I ______ write my own name and read simple stories.
(a) can already
(b) already could to
(c) could already
19 We had so much energy back then. We ______ on the trampoline for hours without stopping.
(a) could jump
(b) could jumping
(c) could jumped
20 When I was your age, I ______ remember all my friends’ phone numbers by heart! Now I need my smartphone.
(a) could
(b) can
(c) could remembered
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (b)
Explanation: * Correct (b): “could” is the past tense of “can” and is used to express an ability you had in the past.
- Incorrect (a): “can” is used for present ability, but the sentence is about the past (“When I was five”).
- Incorrect (c): “could to” is a structural error. Modal verbs are never followed by “to” (infinitive with to).
2 (a)
Explanation: * Correct (a): “could” correctly states the past ability before it was forgotten.
- Incorrect (b): “can” is a common mistake (Present tense).
- Incorrect (c): “couldn’t” makes no sense in this context (if you couldn’t speak it, you wouldn’t have anything to forget).
3 (c)
Explanation: * Correct (c): “could” is the correct way to start a question about past ability.
- Incorrect (a): “can” asks about a present ability.
- Incorrect (b): “did can” is a structural error. We do not use “do/does/did” with modal verbs like “can” or “could”.
4 (a)
Explanation: * Correct (a): “couldn’t” expresses the lack of ability in the past.
- Incorrect (b): “didn’t could” is a basic grammar error. Modals make their own negative forms by adding “not” (could not = couldn’t).
- Incorrect (c): “wasn’t can” is a structural error (mixing the verb ‘to be’ with a modal verb).
5 (b)
Explanation: * Correct (b): “could” describes the brother’s past climbing ability.
- Incorrect (c): “can” is for the present.
- Incorrect (a): “coulds” is a structural error. Modal verbs never take an “-s” ending, even for third-person singular subjects (he/she/it).
6 (c)
Explanation: * Correct (c): “couldn’t” correctly shows the impossibility/lack of ability to play online games in the past.
- Incorrect (b): “can’t” is a common mistake (Present tense).
- Incorrect (a): “didn’t can” is a grammar error (using “didn’t” with a modal).
7 (a)
Explanation: * Correct (a): “Could” is the correct question word for past ability.
- Incorrect (c): “Can” is present tense.
- Incorrect (b): “Did could” is a grammar error.
8 (c)
Explanation: * Correct (c): “could” correctly states a past ability that is lost now.
- Incorrect (a): “can” is present tense.
- Incorrect (b): “could ate” is a structural error. After a modal verb, you must always use the bare infinitive (base verb), not the past tense verb.
9 (a)
Explanation: * Correct (a): “couldn’t” perfectly describes the inability to see in the past before getting glasses.
- Incorrect (b): “can’t” is a common mistake (Present tense).
- Incorrect (c): “couldn’t to” is a structural error (never use “to” after could/couldn’t).
10 (b)
Explanation: * Correct (b): “Could” forms a past permission/ability question correctly.
- Incorrect (c): “Can” asks about present permission.
- Incorrect (a): “Were you could” is a structural error (mixing “were” and “could”).
11 (a)
Explanation: * Correct (a): “could draw” uses the modal + base verb correctly.
- Incorrect (b): “could drew” is a common mistake. You do not use the past simple form (“drew”) after “could”.
- Incorrect (c): “could drawing” is a structural error (no “-ing” after modals).
12 (c)
Explanation: * Correct (c): “could” expresses past permission from parents to play outside.
- Incorrect (a): “can” is present tense.
- Incorrect (b): “could to” is a basic grammar error.
13 (b)
Explanation: * Correct (b): “could read” is the correct modal + base verb structure.
- Incorrect (c): “can read” is present tense.
- Incorrect (a): “could readed” is a grammar/spelling error (read is irregular, and we don’t add -ed after a modal anyway).
14 (c)
Explanation: * Correct (c): “could” expresses the past freedom/ability during the holidays.
- Incorrect (b): “can’t” is present tense and changes the meaning.
- Incorrect (a): “did could” is a structural error.
15 (a)
Explanation: * Correct (a): “couldn’t” correctly states a failed past ability.
- Incorrect (c): “can’t” is a common mistake (Present tense).
- Incorrect (b): “wasn’t could” is a structural error.
16 (b)
Explanation: * Correct (b): “Could you” is the proper question inversion.
- Incorrect (a): “Did you can” is a structural error (using “did” with “can”).
- Incorrect (c): “Could you to” is a structural error (using “to”).
17 (b)
Explanation: * Correct (b): “couldn’t” describes the past social inability of a shy child.
- Incorrect (a): “can’t” is present tense.
- Incorrect (c): “didn’t could” is a grammar error.
18 (c)
Explanation: * Correct (c): “could already” places the adverb correctly between the modal and the verb (implied).
- Incorrect (a): “can already” is present tense.
- Incorrect (b): “already could to” is a structural error (contains “to”).
19 (a)
Explanation: * Correct (a): “could jump” uses the base verb after the modal.
- Incorrect (c): “could jumped” is a common mistake (adding -ed after a modal).
- Incorrect (b): “could jumping” is a structural error (adding -ing).
20 (a)
Explanation: * Correct (a): “could” expresses the strong mental ability the speaker had in their childhood.
- Incorrect (b): “can” is present tense, which contradicts “Now I need my smartphone”.
- Incorrect (c): “could remembered” is a structural error (using the past form after a modal).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Usage: * We use “could” to talk about general abilities or permissions that we had in the past (often childhood). It is the past tense of “can”.
- We use “couldn’t” (could not) to talk about things we were not able to do in the past.
- Example: “I could run fast, but I couldn’t swim.”
- Structure:
- Positive: Subject + could + Verb (Base form) -> She could sing.
- Negative: Subject + couldn’t + Verb (Base form) -> He couldn’t read.
- Question: Could + Subject + Verb (Base form)? -> Could you understand them?
- Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Do NOT use “to” after could: I could run (NOT I could to run).
- Do NOT change the verb after could: The verb must always be in its base/infinitive form. No “-ed”, no “-s”, no “-ing”. I could play (NOT I could played).
- Do NOT use “did”: Modal verbs don’t need helper verbs. Could you see? (NOT Did you could see? or Did you can see?).