English Modal Verb TIPS 🔸PART 2🔸 Ability 💪🏼

[Music]
hello I’m Emma from English last week my
lesson was about using modal verbs to
express possibility and probability if
you haven’t seen it make sure you check
it out after this lesson I’ll link to it
at the end of this video so it will
continue talking about modal verbs today
but this time modal verbs that Express
ability now it’s important to know that
one modal verb can be used to express
different things in English so for
example the modal verb can is used to
express possibility but in this lesson
today
I’ll explain how it expresses ability
and then later you’ll learn that can can
also be used to ask permission make
requests and offer help so it’s a pretty
useful modal verb to express ability in
English you need to use these verbs can
cut could couldn’t and be able to now
can and can’t are pretty simple they’re
both used to express ability in the
present tense you can speak English my
mum can pick us up I can ask my brother
for help we also use be able to to
express the same thing you are able to
speak English my mum is able to pick us
up I’m able to ask my brother for help
but notice that the be verb conjugates
to the subject when we’re using be able
to but when you’re using the modal verb
can it doesn’t matter what the subject
is the modal verb is always the same and
this is true for all modal verbs they
have just one form
now the present tense is simple but when
we talk about ability in the past we
need to pay closer attention to the
rules because we use could to talk about
general ability and we use was or were
able to to talk about specific ability
in the past huh to express yourself
correctly you need to understand what is
general ability and what is specific
ability if someone had the ability to do
something at all times and in many
different situations then this is a
general ability she could read by the
time she was five she could read
anything books newspapers letters
anything this is a general ability so
could is the correct choice here now if
someone had the ability to do something
at a specific time in a specific
situation well this is specific ability
she was able to read Little Red Riding
Hood in front of the class this is a
specific situation so when you’re
talking about a specific ability to be
able to is the correct choice so in
these examples we used different words
to express ability in the past it’s a
little trickier isn’t it but fortunately
the negative form is the same in general
and specific situations in the past it’s
just couldn’t she couldn’t read by the
time she was five she couldn’t read
Little Red Riding Hood in front of the
class
note that when someone had the ability
in the past but they didn’t use it we
use a different structure we use could
with have and the past participle form
I could have helped you but you didn’t
ask me we could have invited more people
there’s spare seats at the back okay
let’s just pause for a moment and think
about all of this new information that
you’ve taken in I think we should
probably practice expressing ability in
the past tense just for a moment before
we move on so what you need to do is
choose the correct word to complete the
sentence okay choose the correct word
when my neighbor slipped down the stairs
this morning I something helped her so
think about this situation is it general
or is it specific this is a specific
situation in the past isn’t it we know
when and exactly what was happening so I
was able to help her is the correct
choice she something speak a little
Japanese when she was younger is it
general or is it specific its general so
could is the right choice she could
speak my brother something not start the
car last night well this is a negative
sentence isn’t it we can see not so it
must be couldn’t my brother couldn’t
start the car last night or he could not
start the car last night he something
offered to drop her home but he was too
tired now notice the form of the main
verb here that’s a clue because it’s not
in the bare infinitive form so it must
be could have
he could have offered to drop her home
my boss’s phone was switched off all day
today finally I got through at around 5
p.m. and I speak to her this is quite a
specific situation isn’t it so was able
to is the right answer
okay the last step now we need to talk
about ability in the future don’t we we
still need to pay attention to those
rules about general ability and specific
ability and it’s a little trickier
because the rules are completely the
opposite to the past tense
thanks English so in the future we use
will and won’t be able to to talk about
general abilities so we’re using will as
the future tense and following will as
with all modal verbs is the bare
infinitive form every time we don’t
conjugate the verb following will here
it will be or won’t be if you arrive
before 6 o’clock you’ll be able to see
the sunset women who become members will
be able to practice their English
speaking skills we use can and can’t to
talk about specific abilities in the
future I can look after your kids
tomorrow night but I can’t collect them
from school because I don’t finish work
until 5 o’clock so these are specific
situations ok a couple of questions to
practice with just before we finish I
something help you with your homework
this afternoon that’s a specific
situation at a specific time so in the
future we
you can if you complete this course you
something apply for a new job so this is
quite general really so we’ll be able to
is the correct choice well that’s it but
who would have thought that talking
about ability in English could be so
tricky I hope this lesson made it a
little clearer for you and I really
recommend that you write down a few of
your own sentences on paper or in the
comments under this video then go back
to the start of this lesson and watch it
again to check your answers and to make
sure that the information sinks in
remember to practice using what you’ve
learnt today
don’t just watch these lessons use the
English that I teach you now if you want
to keep practicing then check out this
lesson up here oh and the modal verbs
lesson that talks about probability and
possibility is right here so thanks for
watching and I’ll see you again next week for a new lesson bye for now