3.1. When I was younger I could.../Cuando era joven sabía...

 

Vamos a fijarnos en este texto para revisar el verbo modal CAN y COULD.

 



María can dance flamenco very well. She also can play the guitar and sing beautifully. However, when she was younger she couldn't do these things so good. She could sing and dance but she wasn't so skillful. As you know, she is learning English, for that reason she is living in London at the moment. She can speak and understand English language quite well but she can't speak with British accent yet. When she was a child, María could ride a bike easily and she could play basketball better than any other children. Now, she doesn't practise any sport so she can't ride her bike  as before.

 

Elaboración propia

 

El verbo Could es la forma de pasado del verbo Can. Tiene el mismo significado modal de habilidad y posibilidad. La forma negativa de Could es Couldn't. Veamos algo más sobre esta forma:

Could significa poder (posibilidad) y saber (habilidad).

Por ejemplo  “I could drive perfectly” “Podía conducir perfectamente” (posibilidad: era capaz de conducir en ese momento).

Pero si decimos “I could speak English” significa saber “Yo sabía hablar inglés”( sabía hacerlo en aquel momento)

No utiliza auxiliar para negar : I couldn't, you couldn't, he couldn't, she couldn't ….

Tampoco utiliza el auxiliar para preguntar, para ello se cambia el orden: Could I?, Could you?, Could he?,...

 

 
Video en Youtube de The Yellow Pencil

 

 

Comprueba lo aprendido

Lee las siguientes frases  y completa las palabras que faltan.

1. When I was young, I play the piano: it was too difficult for me!
2. Her grandmother was bilingual: she speak both English and Spanish.
3. Yesterday, Peter paint the room alone. So, he called me for help.
4. Fifty years ago, people use computers.
5. When he  was young, he surf but he can't do it any longer.
6. We open the car: it was locked from the inside!
7. In 1900, people watch TV.
8. Mary's grandfather play golf and he was the best!
9. Peter play tennis last Monday: he broke his leg on Saturday!
10. When Ann was a teenager, she be at home alone: it was too frightening for her!
11. Last Sunday, we take any photos in the park: it was rainy.
12. Mozart play the piano when he was 5.

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