A2 • Modal Verbs
60s
Could — Past Ability & Polite Requests
Use could for past ability and polite questions.
Rule
Past ability: When I was 10, I could swim. Polite: Could you open the window?
Examples
- We could read at five.
Practice
Choose the correct answers.
1. When I was a child, I ___ run fast.
2. ___ you pass me the salt?
3. She ___ speak Japanese when she lived there.