1. Could and Couldn’t
Unit 6
Culture shock

2. Could and Couldn’t
We use could and couldn’t to ask and talk about what people were able to do in the past.

3. Jonathan couldn’t eat with chopsticks before.
Example 1
Jonathan couldn’t eat with chopsticks before.

4. Grandpa could climb a mountain thirty years ago.
Example 2
Grandpa could climb a mountain thirty years ago.

6. My grandfather read newspapers without glasses when he was young.
Question 1
My grandfather read newspapers
without glasses when he was young.
could

7. Where …? speak English couldn’t speak
Question 2
Where …?
Uncle John
speak English
Uncle John English before.
couldn’t speak

8. Sally when she was in kindergarten. couldn’t swim
Question 3
swim
Sally when she was in kindergarten.
couldn’t swim

9. Paul could see planes in Kowloon in the 1990s.
Question 4
see / planes
Paul could see planes in Kowloon in the 1990s.

10. Emma couldn’t tie shoelaces when she was three years old.
Question 5
tie shoelaces
Emma couldn’t tie shoelaces when she was three years old.