Home » Verb Forms and Tenses » Modal Verbs » Modal Verbs for Ability
There are three main verbs we use to talk about ability: can, could and be able to.
When we talk about ability, we divide ability into two parts:
To talk about general and specific ability in the present, we use can and be able to:
I can swim.
I’m able to swim.
Able to is more formal than can.
To talk about general ability in the past, we use could:
I could read when I was four.
To talk about specific ability in the past, we use was able to/could/couldn’t:
I was able to open the window.
I could open the window.
I couldn’t open the window.
To talk about general and specific ability in the future, we CANNOT say: will+can. We say: will (not) + be able to.
I won’t be able to come.
Could have
To talk about an ability someone had in the past, but didn’t use, we use: could have + past participle.
I could have helped him but I didn’t want to. (I could have helped him but I didn’t want to so I didn’t help him.)
Click on the links below to learn more about modal verbs
Modals for Offers and Requests
Modals for Suggestions and Advice
Modals for deduction and supposition – Present
Modals for deduction and supposition – Past