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Present.

Compare: I can speak Greek.

I am able to speak Greek.

Both variants are possible, but “can” is more usual than “be able to…” in the present.

Past.

“Could” is used with a past meaning:

With the following verbs: see, hear, swell, taste, feel, remember, understand;

E.g. I could see that nobody wanted to join us.

To say that someone had the general ability to do something.

E.g. My grandmother could speak Italian.

But! We don’t use “could” to say that we managed to do something on one occasion. Instead we use “was/ were/ able to…” or “managed to…”

Compare:

When I was 5 I could swim well.

I was able to swim across the river in our village.

She could read when she was 6.

She was able to read a novel by A. Christie in one week.

The negative “couldn’t” is possible in all situations.

E.g. He couldn’t swim (general ability).

He couldn’t get to the station in time (he didn’t manage to do it).

Future. Speaking about the future we have to use will be able to.

E.g. One day I will be able to return here.

Ex. 1. Can you do these things? Say (write) sentences about yourself. Use I can or I can’t …

1. (swim) I can’t swim.

2. (skate)….

3. (roller-skate)…

4. (play chess)…

5. (speak French)…

6. (drive)…

7. (ride a horse)…

8. (do rafting)…

9. (cook)…

Now ask your partner if he/ she can do these things.

Ex. 2. Could you do these things when you were six years old. Say (write) sentences about yourself. Use’ I could or’ I could not ….

1. (make a bed) I could not make my bed.

2. (boil an egg)….

3. (peel potatoes)…

4. (ride a bicycle)…

5. (start a car)…

6. (dance)…

7. (speak English)…

8. (draw)…

9. (knit)…

10. (count up to 100)…

Now ask your partner if she/ he could do these things.

Ex. 3. Fill the following spaces using can for present, could for past and will be able to … for future.

1. I think I … speak Spanish quite well in a few weeks.

2. I … speak Italian quite well when I lived in Rome.

3. I … type but I don’t like it.

4. When I pass my driving test I … to go anywhere by myself.

5. When the fog melts we … to see where we are.

6. When I was a child I … spend hours playing with toy-cars all by myself.

7. He … already walk when he was nine months old.

8. The view is wonderful, you … see mountains from the window.

9. You are speaking so fast that I … hardly follow you.

10. She … to walk again in a few days.

Ex. 4. Complete the sentences with could/ couldn’t/ was/ were able to.

1. He … repair the bicycle but it took him a long time.
2. He … understand what she was talking about.
3. He … help me because he himself was seriously ill.
4. After a ten-mile run I practically … move my legs.
5. … you speak Spanish before you moved to Madrid?
6. At last I … to explain to her what had happened.
7. I … swim across the river but it turned out to be harder than I had expected.
8. We saved a lot and finally … to buy a country house.
9. At school, she … run faster than anyone else.
10. It took us a long time but we … to find the necessary address.
11. When I arrived everybody was asleep but fortunately I … to wake my mother and she let me in.
12. He … leave the country because the police had taken his passport.
13. I … to repair the bicycle because I had the right tools.
14. She wanted to go to the cinema but we … get tickets.
15. Though she was very tired she … to finish her work.

2. must – have to – to be to.

We use “must” to say that it is necessary to do something (express obligation).

E.g. The floor is dirty. You must sweep it.

Both must (do) and have to (do) express a strong obligation.

There is a difference between them. With must the speaker expresses his own opinion.

E.g. I must stop eating cakes. (I want to).

“Have to” expresses a general obligation based on a law or rule.

E.g. I have to stop drinking. (Doctors order me to)

Generally, “have to” is used more often than “must”. If you are unsure which to use, it’s safer to use “have to”.

Unlike must (present) “have to” can be used in all forms.

E.g. I had to talk to her yesterday.

E.g. Have you ever had to stay at work for 16 hours?

Note that we use do/ does/ did with “have to” in present and past questions and negative sentences.

E.g. John doesn’t have to do his homework.

E.g. Do you have to pay extra money for this service?

E.g. They didn’t have to spend too much time there.

E.g. Did she have to look after her aged uncle?

The negatives “mustn’t” and “don’t have to” are completely different.

“Mustn’t” expresses negative obligation – it’s important not to do smth.

E.g. You mustn’t offend children. It is disgusting.

E.g. You mustn’t play with the gun. It’s dangerous.

‘Don’t have to’ expresses the absence of obligatio n – you don’t need to do something (you can if you want but it isn’t necessary).

E.g. You don’t have to stay here till 10, you can leave earlier.

Be to is used in formal instructions.

E.g. No one is to enter this room (No one must enter this room).

You are not to leave this room.

Also we use this structure to talk about official plans and fixed personal arrangements.

E.g. The delegation is to arrive in September.

The clerk said the plane was to arrive two hours later.

Are you to write this article on Friday?

Ex. 5. Put in must or have to.

1. This is a great film. I … see it.
2. My hair is dirty. I … wash it.
3. You hair is dirty. You … wash it.
4. You’re ill. You … to stay in bed.
5. I am feeling so bad. I … stay in bed.
6. I have a headache. I … go and see the doctor.
7. I … to go to work by 9 o’clock.
8. I … to go to Paris for a meeting.

Ex. 6. Put in must or had to.