| Element | USE: 'BE ABLE TO', PAST |
|---|---|
| SuperCat | MODALITY |
| SubCat | expressions with be |
| Lexical Range | N/A |
| Level | B1 |
| Cando | Can use 'was able to', 'were able to' to talk about facts in the past. |
| Corrected Learner Example | [about a bus journey] She was able to get a good seat and she unexpectedly got to school early. (Philippines; B1 THRESHOLD; 2009; Tagalog; Pass) … sales had increased recently because of the good performance of our staff so we were able to improve the quality of our products ... (Ecuador; B1 THRESHOLD; 2010; Spanish - Latin American; Pass) |
| Uncorrected Learner Example | [about a bus journey] She was able to get a good seat and she unexpectedly got to school early. (Philippines; B1 THRESHOLD; 2009; Tagalog; Pass) We were able to choose the songs ourselves and so I liked them very much. (Germany; B1 THRESHOLD; 2001; German; Pass) … sales had increased recently because of the well performance of our staff so we were able to improve the quality of our products ... (Ecuador; B1 THRESHOLD; 2010; Spanish - Latin American; Pass) |
| Comments | N/A |
