COULDCOULD

COULD ability in the past

I could walk perfectly when I was ten months old.

I couldn’t speak English 5 years ago; now I teach it.

COULD permission (more formal)

Could I use your laptop, please? I need to send an e-mail and my smartphone can’t access the Internet.Could I have a white coffee, please?

COULD possibility in the past

I couldn’t open the front door so I entered home through the window.There was a party next door and I could concentrate on my homework with the loud music so,in the end I joined the party.

USES:

SUBJSUBJ + COULDCOULD + BASE FORM (MAIN)BASE FORM (MAIN)

IYOUHE

SHEIT

WEYOUTHEY

COULDCOULDCOULDCOULDCOULDCOULDCOULDCOULDCOULDCOULDCOULDCOULDCOULDCOULDCOULDCOULD

SPEAKSPEAKGOGO

SWIMSWIMUSEUSE

JUMPJUMPRUNRUNREADREADFLYFLY

GERMAN WHEN I WAS 8.TO THE TOILET WHEN I GOT HOMEIN THE DOLPHINS POOL.MY LAPTOP YESTERDAYOVER THAT TABLE VERY EASILY.VERY FAST WHEN WE WERE CHILDRENPOEMS IN THE LITERATURE CLASSES.KYTES AT THE BEACH LAST WEEKEND

AFFIRM.AFFIRM.

AFFIRMATIVE

SUBJSUBJ + COULDN’TCOULDN’T + BASE FORM (MAIN)BASE FORM (MAIN)

IYOUHE

SHEIT

WEYOUTHEY

COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULDCOULD

SPEAKSPEAKGOGO

SWIMSWIMUSEUSE

JUMPJUMPRUNRUNREADREADFLYFLY

GERMAN WHEN I WAS 8.TO THE TOILET WHEN I GOT HOMEIN THE DOLPHINS POOL.MY LAPTOP YESTERDAYOVER THAT TABLE VERY EASILY.VERY FAST WHEN WE WERE CHILDRENPOEMS IN THE LITERATURE CLASSES.KYTES AT THE BEACH LAST WEEKEND.

NEGATIVENEGATIVE

NOTNOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT

COULD NOT COULDN’T

NEGATIVE

COULDCOULD + SUBJSUBJ + BASE FORM (MAIN) ?BASE FORM (MAIN) ?

IYOUHE

SHEIT

WEYOUTHEY

COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULDCOULD

SPEAKSPEAKGOGO

SWIMSWIMUSEUSE

JUMPJUMPRUNRUNREADREADFLYFLY

GERMAN WHEN I WAS 8.TO THE TOILET WHEN I GOT HOMEIN THE DOLPHINS POOL.MY LAPTOP YESTERDAYOVER THAT TABLE VERY EASILY.VERY FAST WHEN WE WERE CHILDRENPOEMS IN THE LITERATURE CLASSES.KYTES AT THE BEACH LAST WEEKEND

QUESTIONSQUESTIONS

QUESTIONS

YES,YES,YES,YES,YES,YES,YES,YES,

NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,

COULDN’TCOULDN’T COULDN’T COULDN’TCOULDN’TCOULDN’TCOULDN’TCOULDN’T

SHORT ANSWERS

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE

COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULD COULDCOULD