UNIT 3.1
VOCABULARY AND LISTENING
Challenges and success
The Marshmallow Test
- How did the successful children manage not to eat the marshmallow?
- What kind of things do children find hard to wait for?
- What techniques do you use to resist temptation? For example: avoid thinking about it, promise yourself a reward later...
- What kind of things do children find hard to wait for?
- What techniques do you use to resist temptation? For example: avoid thinking about it, promise yourself a reward later...
And here's the explanation to the Marshmallow test:
GRAMMAR
CAN/COULD/BE ABLE TO
Modals of ability CAN/CAN'T/COULD/BE ABLE TO
CAN/COULD/BE ABLE TO
Modals of ability CAN/CAN'T/COULD/BE ABLE TO
Difference between can and be able to
Both can and be able to can be used to talk about ability. In some cases they are interchangeable.
Using can
Can is used in the present tense. It is used to talk about our ability to do things.
Examples
Be able to is also possible in these cases; however, it sounds a bit more formal here.
To talk about our past ability, we use could. Was/were able to is also possible.
Study the examples given below.
Again, in spoken English, we are less likely to use was able to.
As you can see in all of these sentences, we were talking about general ability. Things that we can or we could do at any time in the present or in the past.
To talk about things that we managed to do on specific occasions in the past, we cannot use could. Instead, we use was/were able to. The verb managed, succeeded (in…ing) are also possible in this case.
Both could and be able to can be used to say that we were not capable of doing something on a specific occasion.
Using can
Can is used in the present tense. It is used to talk about our ability to do things.
Examples
- I can swim.
- She can speak English well.
- I can swim across that stream.
Be able to is also possible in these cases; however, it sounds a bit more formal here.
- I am able to knit. (Less natural than ‘I can knit.’)
- She is able to speak English well.
To talk about our past ability, we use could. Was/were able to is also possible.
Study the examples given below.
- She could read when she was three. OR She was able to read when she was three.
Again, in spoken English, we are less likely to use was able to.
As you can see in all of these sentences, we were talking about general ability. Things that we can or we could do at any time in the present or in the past.
To talk about things that we managed to do on specific occasions in the past, we cannot use could. Instead, we use was/were able to. The verb managed, succeeded (in…ing) are also possible in this case.
- I was able to get some really good bargains in the sale. (NOT I could get some really good bargains in the sale.)
- After climbing for several hours, we managed to get to the top of the mountain. OR After climbing for several hours, we were able to get to the top of the mountain. (NOT … we could get to the top of the mountain.)
Both could and be able to can be used to say that we were not capable of doing something on a specific occasion.
- In spite of climbing for hours, we couldn’t get to the top of the mountain. OR In spite of climbing for hours, we weren’t able to get to the top of the mountain.
Remember the meaning and the different types of modals we've seen.
If you want to download the theory of modal verbs os ability and possibility, clicl on the link below.
3c_modal_verbs_can_could_be_able_to.doc | |
File Size: | 32 kb |
File Type: | doc |
ted-talk-30-days-challenge-video-movie-activities_81528.docx | |
File Size: | 793 kb |
File Type: | docx |
ON-LINE activities. Click on the links below to play some games in order to practice the modals.
Modal verbs game catapult
Modal verbs exercises
Modal verbs of Ability test
Modal verbs of Ability test2
Modal verbs of Obligation test
Modal verbs of Obligation test2
Modal verbs of possibility test
Modal verbs game catapult
Modal verbs exercises
Modal verbs of Ability test
Modal verbs of Ability test2
Modal verbs of Obligation test
Modal verbs of Obligation test2
Modal verbs of possibility test
SONGS TO REVIEW THE MODAL VERBS
2. PRONUNCIATION:
can / can't:If you say "I can do it" (incorrectly stressing "can"), a native speaker will probably understand "I can't do it".
· can / couldare normally unstressed in + and ? sentences when they're pronounced /kən/ and /kʊd/. If you stress them, a native speaker could understand you are saying the opposite.
· can't / couldn'tare stressed in - sentences, and they're pronounced /ka:nt/ and /'kʊdnt/.
so:· It's so frustrating! (tan) --> to emphasize an andjective or adverb.
· The classes were free, so I joined. (por lo que/ por lo tanto) --> to connect a cause and a result. Sometimes is used:
1. in the middle of a sentence and sometimes at the beginning of a new sentence, e.g. "When we got to the station the train had already gone. So, we got a taxi home",
"When we got to the station the train had already gone, so we got a taxi home".
2. at the beginning of a question, e.g. "So, what happened in the end?".
can / can't:If you say "I can do it" (incorrectly stressing "can"), a native speaker will probably understand "I can't do it".
· can / couldare normally unstressed in + and ? sentences when they're pronounced /kən/ and /kʊd/. If you stress them, a native speaker could understand you are saying the opposite.
· can't / couldn'tare stressed in - sentences, and they're pronounced /ka:nt/ and /'kʊdnt/.
so:· It's so frustrating! (tan) --> to emphasize an andjective or adverb.
· The classes were free, so I joined. (por lo que/ por lo tanto) --> to connect a cause and a result. Sometimes is used:
1. in the middle of a sentence and sometimes at the beginning of a new sentence, e.g. "When we got to the station the train had already gone. So, we got a taxi home",
"When we got to the station the train had already gone, so we got a taxi home".
2. at the beginning of a question, e.g. "So, what happened in the end?".
REMEMBER
-ed / -ing adjectives:
· the -ed adjective is used for the person who has the feeling. In other words, a boring person makes us feel bored.
· the -ing adjective is used for a thing (person) that causes the feeling.
WRITING
Write a short note (about 60 words) for a school magazine giving advice on how to improve in English.