LANGUAGE REFERENCE
134
5
GRAMMAR
G1
MODAL VERBS: ABILITY, POSSIBILITY AND
OBLIGATION (FUTURE)
Use
will
/
won’t be able to
to talk about future ability.
After I pass my driving test I’
ll be able to
drive a car
on my own.
She’s going on holiday so she
won’t be able to
see
you next week.
!
Don’t use
can
for future ability. Use
will be able to
instead.
Can I type by the end of the course?
O
Will
I
be able to
type by the end of the course?
P
!
Use
may, might
or
could
to describe future
possibilities.
In the future cars
might
contain high pressure
hydrogen tanks.
We
could
go to Greece next summer.
They
may
be able to help you with your problem.
!
To describe a negative possibility in the future, we
use
might not
; we don’t use
could not
.
The weather forecast is good so we
might not
need
our umbrellas tomorrow.
P
The weather forecast is good so we could not need
our umbrellas tomorrow.
O
Use
will have to
or
will need to
to describe future
obligation.
There’s an admission charge so we’
ll have to
take
some money with us.
Use
will not have to
and
will not need to
to describe
a lack of obligation in the future.
They’re going to give us lunch so we
won’t need to
take any food.
Use
can’t
to talk about a prohibition (a negative
obligation) in the future.
We should eat something now. You
can’t
take food
into the theatre.
G2
MODAL VERBS: ABILITY, POSSIBILITY AND
OBLIGATION (PAST)
Use
could
or
was
/
were
able
to
to talk about a general
ability/possibility in the past.
When I was young I
could
run for miles without
getting tired.
Years ago people
were able to
drive without taking a test.
!
But to talk about a single action in the past we only
use
was able to
, not
could
.
There was a bus strike, but I could get a lift with a
colleague.
O
There was a bus strike, but I
was able to
get a lift with
a colleague.
P
Use
manage to
or
succeed in
to talk about something
you did that was difficult. Use the -
ing
form of the
verb after
succeed in
.
Our flight was cancelled, but we
managed to
get seats
on the next one.
After several phone calls we
succeeded in
speak
ing
to
the manager.
Use
couldn’t
or
wasn’t
/
weren’t able to
for a negative
possibility in the past.
I lost my key and I
couldn’t
find it.
When I was young I
wasn’t able to
stay out late.
Use
had to
to talk about obligation in the past.
I
had to
get a visa when I went to the USA last summer.
Use
didn’t have to
to talk about a lack of obligation in
the past.
At my old school we
didn’t have to
wear a uniform.
Use
couldn’t
to talk about a negative obligation (a
prohibition) in the past.
We
couldn’t
use calculators in class when I was
at school.
KEY LANGUAGE
KL
THE LANGUAGE OF MEETINGS
SUMMARISING
OK, let me summarise our discussion.
Let me recap, please.
So, just to confirm …
Right, what have we covered so far?
OK, do we essentially have agreement?
Right, I’ll now sum up.
Everyone happy with my summary?
VOCABULARY
V1
TRANSPORT PROBLEMS
congestion charge, delayed sailing, engineering work,
fogbound runway, lane closure, lost baggage, low tide,
platform alteration, puncture, rough weather, signalling
problems, (long) tailback, turbulence
V2
SAFETY FEATURES
airbag, anti-lock brakes, one-way street, seat belt, speed
cameras, speed limit, traction control, traffic signals
V3
COLLOCATIONS
air pollution, automated system, carbon emissions,
construction company, distant future, human error,
inflatable slide, preliminary findings, rush hour,
significant contribution, significant impact, space
elevator, technological advances, traffic congestion,
traffic jam, transport infrastructure, transport system
V4
WORDS CONNECTED WITH (ICONIC) TRAVEL
altitude, era, gruelling, icon, impeccable, nomads,
nostalgia, opulence
