English Grammar for International Studies - first edition 2010
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11 Ability, possibility and request
A
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B
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E
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1 and 2
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B
B
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Could you
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cannot
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Could you
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could not work
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might
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will be able
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may
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could not
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could have warned
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was able
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may
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could
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have not been able
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may
C
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be able to
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be able to
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been able to
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could/might
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been able to
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be able to
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be able to
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have been able to
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Could
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be able to
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to be able to
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could have/would have been able to
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be able to
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was able to
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were able to
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have been able to
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could have been/might have been
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have not been able to
D
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was able to: ‘Could’ cannot be used if the past ability refers to what really happened in one particular situation. In such a case, was/were able or managed is used.
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may: may is used to express a possibility.
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correct
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were able to: “Could” cannot be used if the past ability refers to what really happened in one particular situation. In such a case, was/were able or managed is used.
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would have been able/could have: an unrealised ability is expressed by could have or would have been able to.
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correct
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correct
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were not able: The past tense must be used because there is an indication of past time in this sentence (yesterday).
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would have been able to get/could have got: an unrealised ability is expressed by could have or would have been able to.
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correct
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correct
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were able to: Could cannot be used if the past ability refers to what really happened in one particular situation. In such a case, was/were able or managed is used.
E
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spent
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would be able
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had bought
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were sold
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sold
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has not been able
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could have
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lost