时间:2018-12-02 作者:英语课 分类:手把手教你学口语


英语课

There are two ways of expressing ability in English. One, “can” or “could”. Two, “be able to”. In negative sentences, there’s no difference in meaning. So, “I couldn’t lift the piano” and “I wasn’t able to lift the piano” mean the same thing. However, in affirmative sentences about past ability, “could” usually means 1 “used be able to”. The use of “could” usually indicates that the ability existed in the past, but does not exist now.


For example, “When I was young, I could run fast” means that I can not run fast now. On the other hand, if the speaker is talking about an ability to do something at one particular time in the past, “was/were able to” can be used in affirmative sentences, but “could” cannot.


For example, your car broke down. It stopped working. So you took it to get fixed 2 two days ago. When I saw you today, you told me that the mechanic 3 fixed your car. If you said, “The mechanic could fix my car yesterday”, that sentence is not correct. You must say, “The mechanic was able to fix my car yesterday” or “The mechanic managed to fix my car yesterday.”


Let’s look at another example. I have been looking for a CD I like for a long time. I could not find it. I was not able to find it for a long time. But yesterday I was able to find it. Yesterday I managed to find it. But you cannot say, “Yesterday I could find it.”


Remember “I could not” and “I was not able to” are the same, but “I could” and “I was able to” are not the same. “I could” means I used to be able to, but now I’m not able to. “I was able to” means I have the ability at one particular time in the past.


This has been today’s daily tip on learning 4 English. Tune 5 in tomorrow for another tip.



1 means
n.方法,手段,折中点,物质财富
  • That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
  • We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。
2 fixed
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
3 mechanic
n.技工,机(械)工,机修工
  • The mechanic made the necessary adjustments to the engine.机械师对发动机作了必要的调整。
  • He is a mechanic who buys and sells cars on the side.他是一个兼营买卖汽车的技工。
4 learning
n.学问,学识,学习;动词learn的现在分词
  • When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时,常会从车上掉下来。
  • Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。
5 tune
n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整
  • He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子,并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
  • The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。
学英语单词
administrative readjustment
alaudidaes
arshile gorky
Balagne
Biver
Bulzi
buzzes in
cardmember
castlemaine
certified instrument
colletotrichum rhoinum tassi
complection
concentrate feed
configuration data control
constrained kinematic chain
consummateth
continuous casting
curly-haired
cutaway dive
depth-chargeds
Dictyoclostus
Domodossola
doxing
El Higuerón
electrically-operated platform truck
erosion mountains
erythroblastotic
erythropoeisis
feeler spring pin
Finucane Ra.
fix point
garment leather
generator unit stator
gourlie
greywacke schist
H.D.L.W.
hartnell
herdmate comparison
high volume sampler
hollow packing
hoogenband
humetted
incisiver suture
inviters
language data
line frequency generator
link-local address
long-term government bonds
Länsi-Suomen Lääni
marine atmosphere corrosion-resisting structural steel
maritime buoyage system agreement
methylone
middleburgh
mindelo
Mošnov
nanningensis
non-pensionable supplements
nondeterministic finite automation
Orthosiphon spicatus
overrunner
Parophidion
perfumes
pilosis
plaster jeckets
Podkarpackie
posthabit
power-downs
presidentiables
proportional intensifier
pyridizin
pyrometric cone equivalent value
rail cambering machine
regular surface gauge
Roundwood Res.
scarlatina latens
shanghaiing
skin irritation assay
spaghetti strap
St. Gervasius' disease
stantly
steam turbine rotor
strong gluten
subfamily Triglinae
Sud, Pte.
thalamic medullary stria
the shakes
thermometer dial
thoracispinal
three-dimensional model
timeframes
tractor mounted
transposition pin
Tyssedal
u-tube hydrometer
ulcerable
vault money
Wanner optical pyrometer
water-carrying
wavelength spectrometer
whelping
yekke
yellow globe lily