COULD The verb could is used to express: • someone’s ability or skill in the past: Affirmative Interrogative Question Negative I could swim when I was five.. She couldn’t find the keys..
Trang 1COULD The verb could is used to express:
• someone’s ability or skill in the past:
Affirmative Interrogative (Question) Negative
I could swim when I was
five
Couldn’t you do something? She couldn’t find the keys
• the possibility of perception in the past tense – with the verbs like:
Affirmative Interrogative (Question) Negative
hear I could hear someone shouting. Could you hear that strange sound? I couldn’t hear them because of the noise
see I could see you were depressed Could you see the church in the distance? I couldn’t see anything in the dark
imagine
I could imagine how you felt Could you imagine how surprised I was? I couldn’t imagine you working in the office.
smell I could smell gas. Could you smell the flowers? I couldn’t smell anything because I had a cold
understand I could understand her French
Could you understand his
accent?
I couldn’t understand what was happening
• and also: with the verbs such as imagine, taste, recognise