1. Look at the questionnaire about Adrian and complete the sentences.

1   Adrian …can… ski quite well, but he …can’t… skate at all.

2   TOM   ………… you ride a horse, Adrian?

      ADRIAN   No, I …………, but I ………… ride a bike really well!

3   Adrian ………… sing very well. He ………… play the piano quite well, but he ………… play the guitar at all.

4   TOM   ………… you do yoga?

      ADRIAN   Yes, I ………… do yoga really well.

5   He ………… do karate quite well, but he ………… do judo at all.

Adrian’s abilities questionnaire

 

Yes, really well

Yes, quite well

No, not very well

No, not at all

ski?

 

✓

 

 

skate?

 

 

 

✓

ride a horse?

 

 

 

✓

ride a bike?

✓

 

 

 

sing?

 

 

✓

 

play the piano?

 

✓

 

 

play the guitar?

 

 

 

✓

do yoga?

✓

 

 

 

do judo?

 

 

 

✓

do karate?

 

✓

 

 

play tennis?

 

✓

 

 

play golf?

 

 

✓

 

play volleyball?

 

✓

 

 

Answer

2 Can, can’t, can   3 can’t, can, can’t   4 Can, can   5 can, can’t

2. Underline the correct words to complete the sentences.

1   My mother can / couldn’t / can’t swim when she was a child, but now she can / could / couldn’t swim five kilometres.

2   A   Can / Can’t / Could you play tennis when you were five?

     B   No, I can’t / couldn’t / could.

3   A   Can / Can’t / Couldn’t you speak Spanish?

     B   No, not now. I can / can’t / could speak it when I lived in Mexico, but not any more.

4   When I started cycling, I can’t / couldn’t / can cycle very far, but now I could / can / can’t cycle ten kilometres without stopping.

5   He could / can’t / can dance all night when he was a young man, but not these days.

6   I usually work at weekends, so I could / can / can’t play golf very often.

Answer

2 Could, couldn’t   3 Can, could   4 couldn’t, can   5 could   6 can’t

3. Complete the text with can, can’t, could or couldn’t.

In my family we love playing sport. I (1) …………… play badminton well and my sister (2) …………… ski well. When we were children we (3) …………… both play football very well, but we’re both a bit too slow now. The only sport I (4) …………… do is swimming. I didn’t learn to swim. My sister did and she (5) …………… swim very fast – 50 metres in about 40 seconds. We also tried to learn musical instruments. I studied the guitar, but I (6) …………… play well at all. I was always too busy playing sport.

Answer

1 can   2 can   3 could   4 can’t   5 can   6 couldn’t

4. Correct the sentences.

1   My brother can skiing very well.

     My brother can ski very well.

2   When I was 15, I could ran 100 metres in 12 seconds.

3   I’m sorry I couldn’t coming to your party.

4   My grandfather can’t to see very well without his glasses.

5   Can you dancing the tango?

6   He couldn’t to play football after he broke his leg.

7   Helen could drove when she was 17.

8   Could you to ride a bike when you were five?

Answer

2   When I was 15, I could run 100 metres in 12 seconds.

3   I’m sorry I couldn’t come to your party.

4   My grandfather can’t see very well without his glasses.

5   Can you dance to the tango?

6   He couldn’t play football after he broke his leg.

7   Helen could drive when she was 17.

8   Could you ride a bike when you were five?

5. Complete the sentences with can / can’t, could / couldn’t.

1   I …can…… play the guitar. I want to learn the drums next.

2   I ………………. drive last year but I passed my test six weeks ago!

3   She ………………. cook really well. Her food is always great.

4   He isn’t on the football team, because he ………………. run very fast.

5   When I was at school, I ………………. do maths. But now I’m much better.

6   My husband ………………. speak French, Spanish and Portuguese. It’s useful when we travel!

7   I ………………. climb trees when I was a child but I’m too old now.

Answer

2 couldn’t   3 can   4 can’t   5 couldn’t   6 can   7 could

6. Write sentences about what Rob could / couldn’t do in the past and what he can / can’t do now.

when he was a boy

now

swim 1,000 metres ✗

swim 1,000 metres ✓

cook a meal ✗

cook a meal ✓

ride a bike ✓

ride a bike ✗

run 25 km ✗

run 25 km ✓

speak Spanish ✗

speak Spanish ✓

1   Rob couldn’t swim 1,000 metres when he was a boy. He can swim 1,000 metres now.

2   …………………………………………………………………………………

3   …………………………………………………………………………………

4   …………………………………………………………………………………

5   …………………………………………………………………………………

Answer

2   Rob couldn’t cook a meal when he was a boy. He can cook a meal now.

3   Rob could ride a bike when he was a boy. He can’t ride a bike now.

4   Rob couldn’t run 25 km when he was a boy. He can run 25 km now.

5   Rob couldn’t speak Spanish when he was a boy. He can speak Spanish now.

7. Find and correct a mistake in each sentence.

1   I don’t can play the guitar. I can’t play the guitar.

2   She cans speak four languages. …………………………………….

3   How fast you can swim? …………………………………….

4   I could ran very fast when I was a child. …………………………………….

5   I didn’t could understand what he said. …………………………………….

6   A Does he can cook?   B Yes, he can. …………………………………….

7   A Could he walk before his accident?   B Yes, he did. …………………………………….

Answer

2   She cans can speak …

3   … you can swim can you swim?

4   I could ran run …

5   I didn’t could couldn’t understand …

6   Does he can Can he cook?

7   Yes, he did could.

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