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Expressing Ability and Inability IV

Level(s)

Section(s)

Habilidades de comunicação

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Na última aula vimos uma das maneiras de falar que você consegue ou não consegue fazer algo em inglês usando o can e o could.

Agora na aula de hoje veremos como fazer isso usando o be able to, e quais são as diferenças dele e do can?

Veremos tudo isso na aula de hoje😉

Look at the images 👉

Are you able to play an instrument?
Are you able to draw?
Will you be able to bake a cake this month?
Will you be able to go fishing this month?

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Able and not Able

The “be able to” is used like Can or Can’t examples:

I am able to play the piano.

I am able to swim.

I am not able to drive.

I am not able to fix this computer.

Questions

Am I able to play the piano?

Am I able to swim?

Am I able to drive?

Am I not able to fix this computer?

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3 questions

Ask 3 questions using the “Be able to”.

Ask 3 questions using the “Be not able to” and ask why.

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Be able to x can

Ability: the future

You use a will be able to to talk about a skill or ability that you don’t have yet, but will have in the future

✅ When I finish training I will be able to run a 5 minute mile.

✘ When I finish training I can run a 5 minute mile.

✅ I will be able to see better when I get new glasses.

✘ I can see better when I get new glasses.

✅ I will be able to answer that question tomorrow.

Ability: `be able to' after other verbs

Be able to is sometimes used after modals such as might or should, and after verbs such as want, hope, or expect.

You may be able to get extra money.
You should be able to see that from here.
She would not be able to go out alone.
Do you really expect to be able to do that?
We might have been able to move some of the staff to a different department
Don't use can or could after any other verbs.

PAST ABILITY: When we are talking about a specific situation or when noting a specific achievement, we must use “was (or) were able to”. We do not use “could”

❌We ~~could~~ get a really good price on the car

✔️We were able to get a really good price on the car.

❌I ~~could~~ persuade her to volunteer at the show

✔️I was able to persuade her to volunteer at the show..

❌The burglar ~~could~~ was able to get in through the bathroom window.

✔️The burglar was able to get in through the bathroom window

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Past + Be able to

Use the past version of be able to, to answer the questions below.

Say the 3 most important things you were able to do on your last vacation.
Say 3 things you were able to do today.
Say something you weren't able to do in the past but are able to do now.
Tell an important achievement that you were able to achieve last month.

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Roleplay

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Creating an event

You and your students have a task, to create an event about something that you all like, ask the students what they are able to do in order to make the event successful.

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Surviving on the island

Imagine you were on an airplane that lost control, crashing into the ocean. Now, you're stranded on an island with only your skills and three essential items of your choice. Discuss with your classmates what tasks each of you can handle to survive.

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For homework: Interview your family or friends.

Ask the students to interview their friends and relatives the questions below and note the answers, after that translate those to english later and bring it to next class.

Ask them about things they are able to do.
Ask them about some things that they were able to do in the past, but they are not able anymore.
Ask them about things that they want to be able to do in the future.

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It’s rewind time

Now to finish our class let's rewind and remember everything we saw:

how can we say that we will have the ability to do something in the future?

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Bibliography

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