Topical Grammar Practice 2 — Unit 29: Talking about Ability in the Past

Exercise 1: Choose the correct answer.

1. When I was six, I ___ ride a bike.

2. Last year, after many lessons, I ___ swim 100 meters.

3. My grandfather ___ use a smartphone ten years ago.

4. She was sick, so she ___ come to school yesterday.

5. At age five, Tom ___ read simple books.

6. After two hours, we ___ find the lost keys.

🔑 Đáp án & Giải thích (Exercise 1)

1. could — Dùng 'could' để nói khả năng trong quá khứ.
2. was able to — 'Was able to' dùng cho việc làm được một việc cụ thể trong quá khứ.
3. could not — 'Could not' diễn tả không có khả năng.
4. was not able to — 'Was not able to' diễn tả không thể làm việc cụ thể.
5. could — Khả năng chung trong quá khứ dùng 'could'.
6. were able to — Dùng 'were able to' cho thành công trong một tình huống cụ thể.

Exercise 2: Write the correct form.

1. When I was seven, I ___ (could/couldn't) draw a horse.

2. She ___ (was able to/was not able to) finish her homework yesterday.

3. My brother ___ (could/couldn't) speak English when he was three.

4. We ___ (were able to/were not able to) catch the bus after running.

5. I ___ (could not/could) lift that heavy box when I was small.

6. They ___ (were not able to/were able to) open the door because they lost the key.

🔑 Đáp án & Giải thích (Exercise 2)

1. could — Khả năng làm được trong quá khứ.
2. was able to — Hoàn thành được một việc cụ thể.
3. couldn't — Không có khả năng ở thời điểm đó.
4. were able to — Đã làm được việc cụ thể.
5. could not — Không đủ khả năng nâng hộp nặng.
6. were not able to — Không thể làm việc cụ thể.

Exercise 3: Choose the best answer.

1. When Anna was four, she ___ count to 20.

could was able to couldn't was not able to

2. Yesterday, Jack ___ fix his bike after watching a video.

could was able to couldn't was not able to

3. I ___ play the piano when I was a child.

could was able to couldn't was not able to

4. Because of the rain, we ___ play football yesterday.

could were able to couldn't were not able to

5. My dad ___ drive when he was 18.

could was able to could not was not able to

6. She studied hard and ___ pass the test.

could couldn't was able to was not able to

🔑 Đáp án & Giải thích (Exercise 3)

1. could — Khả năng chung khi còn nhỏ.
2. was able to — Làm được việc cụ thể hôm qua.
3. could — Kỹ năng trong quá khứ.
4. were not able to — Không thể thực hiện hoạt động cụ thể.
5. could — Khả năng lái xe trong quá khứ.
6. was able to — Đã vượt qua bài kiểm tra.

Exercise 4: Look at the picture and choose the answer.

Exercise Context — A bright family park on a Saturday afternoon. A young boy is riding a bicycle without help. A little girl is swimming in a small pool with confidence. An elderly man is looking at a smartphone and smiling. A woman is carrying a heavy box. A father is teaching a child to fly a kite. Trees, benches, and a sunny sky are visible.

1. Who can ride a bicycle in the scene?

2. Who is swimming?

3. Who is using a smartphone?

4. Who is carrying a heavy box?

5. Who is teaching a child?

6. What is the weather like?

🔑 Đáp án & Giải thích (Exercise 4)

1. The young boy — Cậu bé đang đi xe đạp.
2. The little girl — Bé gái đang bơi.
3. The elderly man — Ông cụ đang dùng điện thoại.
4. The woman — Người phụ nữ đang mang hộp.
5. The father — Người cha đang dạy thả diều.
6. Sunny — Bầu trời nắng đẹp.

Exercise 5: Choose the correct answer.

1. I ___ swim when I was five.

2. After many tries, she ___ open the jar.

3. My friends ___ play chess very well when they were young.

4. We ___ find the restaurant because the map was wrong.

5. He ___ write his name at age four.

6. They ___ finish the game because it was too late.

🔑 Đáp án & Giải thích (Exercise 5)

1. couldn't — Không biết bơi lúc 5 tuổi.
2. was able to — Cuối cùng đã mở được lọ.
3. could — Kỹ năng chung trong quá khứ.
4. were not able to — Không tìm được địa điểm cụ thể.
5. could — Biết viết tên khi còn nhỏ.
6. were not able to — Không thể hoàn thành trò chơi.

Exercise 6: Choose the correct sentence.

1. Ability at age six: ride a bike

I could ride a bike when I was six. I was able ride a bike when I was six. I could rode a bike when I was six. I can ride a bike when I was six.

2. Specific success yesterday: finish homework

I could finish my homework yesterday. I was able to finish my homework yesterday. I able to finish my homework yesterday. I was able finish my homework yesterday.

3. No ability in the past: swim

I couldn't swim when I was four. I not could swim when I was four. I wasn't able swim when I was four. I couldn't swam when I was four.

4. Specific failure yesterday: open the door

I was not able to open the door yesterday. I could not opened the door yesterday. I was not able open the door yesterday. I not able to open the door yesterday.

5. Past ability: read

She could read at age five. She could reads at age five. She was able read at age five. She can read at age five.

6. Specific success: catch the bus

We were able to catch the bus. We could caught the bus. We were able catch the bus. We able to catch the bus.

🔑 Đáp án & Giải thích (Exercise 6)

1. I could ride a bike when I was six. — Câu dùng 'could' đúng ngữ pháp.
2. I was able to finish my homework yesterday. — 'Was able to' + động từ nguyên mẫu.
3. I couldn't swim when I was four. — Cấu trúc phủ định đúng là couldn't + V.
4. I was not able to open the door yesterday. — Cấu trúc đúng là was not able to + V.
5. She could read at age five. — Sau 'could' dùng động từ nguyên mẫu.
6. We were able to catch the bus. — Dùng 'were able to' đúng cấu trúc.