Do you know how to use could, was able to, and managed to talk about past abilities? Enhance your knowledge with a lesson given below and the grammar explanation to guide you better.
Look at these examples to see how could, was able to, and managed to are used.
I could swim across the lake when I was eight years old.
She wasn’t able to finish the race due to an injury.
They managed to solve the puzzle in record time.
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Grammar explanation - Past ability
Here are the grammar explanation to guide you better:
1. General ability
We usually use could or couldn't to talk about general abilities in the past.
He could ride a bike when he was five years old.
I couldn't drive until I turned eighteen.
When I lived near the mountains, I could hike every weekend.
2. Ability on one occasion – successful
When we talk about achieving something on a specific occasion in the past, we use was/were able to (= had the ability to) and managed to (= succeeded in doing something difficult).
The athlete was able to break the record during the championship.
The student managed to finish the exam with only a few minutes to spare.
Could is not usually correct when we're talking about ability at a specific moment in the past.
3. Ability on one occasion – unsuccessful
When we talk about a specific occasion when someone didn't have the ability to do something, we can use wasn't/weren't able to, didn't manage to, or couldn't.
The chef wasn't able to prepare the dish in time for the guests.
She couldn't attend the concert because she had another commitment.
They practiced for weeks but they didn't manage to win the competition.
Note that wasn't/weren't able to is more formal than couldn't, while didn't manage to emphasises that the task was difficult to accomplish.