Can, Could, Be Able To Exercises

We use can, could and be able to to talk about ability: what someone can do now or could do in the past. Can and could are short and common, but they only have two forms, so for other tenses we need be able to. The table shows which form to use when. Then practise below. Each answer comes with a short explanation.

TimeFormExample
Presentcan / can’t · am able toI can swim. She can’t drive.
Past (general)could / couldn’tI could read when I was four.
Past (one success)was able to / managed toEveryone was able to escape.
Futurewill be able toI’ll be able to help you tomorrow.
Present perfecthave been able toI haven’t been able to contact him.
After other verbs / modalsto be able to · being able to · be able toI’d love to be able to sing. You must be able to drive.

Can, could, be able to exercises

Four sets of 20 questions: present and past ability (A2), could vs was able to (B1), could have and advanced forms (B2–C1), and an At work set. Prefer to check everything at the end? Switch to Exam mode.

Level A2 20 questions ~8 min
  1. I   swim, but I can’t dive.

  2. When I was five, I   read.

  3. She (not / speak) Chinese. (present ability)

  4.   you play the piano?

  5. I’m sorry, I   come to your party last Saturday.

  6. My grandmother   use a smartphone. She’s 95!

  7. Next year I (be able to) drive.

  8. He   run very fast when he was young.

  9. I   find my keys this morning.

  10. (you / swim) when you were a child?

  11. Cats   see in the dark.

  12. I’ll   help you tomorrow.

  13. Sorry, I hear you. The music is too loud.

  14. She   play chess when she was four.

  15. We   see the mountains from our hotel window yesterday.

  16. He (not / ride) a bike until he was ten.

  17.   your brother cook?

  18. I don’t think I   finish this today.

  19. My dog   open the door by himself!

  20. When I lived in Rome, I (speak) Italian quite well.

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Teachers: download these questions as a printable worksheet with an answer key. It’s free to use in class.

Could or was able to?

For a general ability in the past, both work: When I was young, I could / was able to run very fast. For one specific success on one occasion, don’t use could. Use was able to or managed to:

  • ✅ The fire was big, but everyone was able to escape. (not could escape)
  • ✅ After three hours, we managed to fix the car.
  • ✅ In the negative, couldn’t is always fine: I couldn’t find my keys this morning.
  • ✅ With see, hear, smell, feel, could is fine even for one occasion: We could see the mountains.

Common mistakes

  • ❌ I will can help you. → ✅ I will be able to help you.
  • ❌ She cans speak French. → ✅ She can speak French.
  • ❌ I haven’t could finish it. → ✅ I haven’t been able to finish it.
  • ❌ He’s capable to do it. → ✅ He’s capable of doing it / He’s able to do it.

FAQ

What does “could have done” mean?

It describes something that was possible in the past but didn’t happen: I could have gone to the party, but I was too tired. It’s also used to criticise: You could have told me! (= you didn’t, and you should have).

Is “be able to” more formal than “can”?

Slightly. In the present, can is much more common in speech: I can swim sounds more natural than I’m able to swim. Be able to is common in formal writing and job ads (Candidates must be able to work under pressure) and whenever can has no form: future, perfect, after to or another modal.

Can I use “could” for requests?

Yes, Could you…? is a polite way to ask someone to do something: Could you send me the figures? For asking permission (Can I…? Could I…? May I…?), see our modal verbs of permission exercises.