Answers and an explanation for each question appear once you add this activity to your own library.

⚡ 12-Min Quick Grammar Level A2 • Ocean Lab

🌊 Expressing Ability: Can, Could & Be Able To

Master present and past abilities while discovering fascinating facts about ocean life.

📋 How to use this lesson

🧑‍🏫 Teacher

Use this 12-minute lesson to practice ability in the present and past. Check answers together with the class after students finish.

🎒 Student

First, read the four rules in the table carefully. Next, complete the 12 ocean exercises from easy to hard.

A sleek dolphin swimming fast in the ocean A large whale diving deep into the ocean water

🧭 Ocean Ability Matrix (Grammar Rules)

4 KEY PATTERNS

PRESENT ABILITY

can + verb

= am / is / are able to

Shows general ability or what someone can do in the present time.

🐬 A dolphin can swim very fast.

(= A dolphin is able to swim very fast.)

PAST GENERAL ABILITY

could + verb

past skill / talent

Shows general ability someone had for a longer period in the past.

🐢 When I was six, I could swim.

When the turtle was small, it could hide under rocks.

PAST SPECIFIC EVENT

was / were able to

managed to do once

Managed to succeed in one specific situation or completed action in the past.

🚤 We were able to get a boat ticket yesterday.

The diver was able to swim back after the big wave.

CAN'T / COULDN'T

can't / couldn't

cannot / could not

Shows someone or an animal does not have the ability now or in the past.

🐋 A whale can't breathe under water.

The baby shark couldn't hunt big fish last year.

★

Ocean Practice Stations (12 Items)

Station 1 • Multiple Choice: 'can' vs 'could' 3 Questions

Today, a hungry shark ___ hunt easily in deep water because of its sharp senses.

____ a. can ____ b. could ____ c. was able

When the turtle was very young, it ___ not swim against a strong wave.

____ a. can ____ b. could ____ c. is able to

Look at those dolphins near the coast! They ___ dive really deep and jump so high right now.

____ a. can ____ b. could ____ c. were able

Station 2 • Sentence Rewrite: Convert 'can' to 'be able to' 3 Questions

Q4 one person

Original sentence: "A blue whale can dive 500 meters into the deep ocean."

Complete the rewrite with the correct form of be able to:

A blue whale ____ 500 meters into the deep ocean.

Q5 Plural Subject

Original sentence: "Sea turtles can live for over eighty years."

Complete the rewrite with the correct form of be able to:

Sea turtles ____ for over eighty years.

Q6 First Person Subject

Original sentence: "I can see the rocky coast from here."

Complete the rewrite with the correct form of be able to:

I ____ the rocky coast from here.

Station 3 • Gap Fill: 'was/were able to' vs 'could' 3 Questions

Q7 yesterday

Yesterday, despite the giant wave, the rescue boat (reach) the coast safely.

Fill in the blank. Use was / were able to + the verb in brackets.

____

Q8 in 2010

When my uncle worked as a marine scientist in 2010, he (dive) into deep waters without fear.

Fill in the blank with the verb in brackets (past ability).

____

Q9 last night

The young turtle was trapped in a fishing net, but it (escape) last night before the shark arrived.

Fill in the blank. Use was / were able to + the verb in brackets.

____

Station 4 • Error Correction: Messages from the Coast 3 Questions

Q10 Radio Message Log #1

TRANSMISSION:

"Our research boat hit a rough wave, but after one hour of hard work we could reach the coast yesterday."

Identify the mistake. Type the correct 4-word phrase to replace "could reach" for this specific past success:

____

Q11 Radio Message Log #2

TRANSMISSION:

"Look! That experienced diver can to dive into deep caves without any problem."

Find the mistake. Type the correct 2-word phrase to replace "can to dive":

____

Q12 Radio Message Log #3

TRANSMISSION:

"A great white shark can hunts seals near the coast during morning hours."

Find the verb ending mistake. Type the correct 2-word phrase to replace "can hunts":

____

Can, Could and Be Able To for Ability

🌊 Expressing Ability: Can, Could & Be Able To

📋 How to use this lesson

🧭 Ocean Ability Matrix (Grammar Rules)

Ocean Practice Stations (12 Items)

Related lessons

Past Simple: Regular and Irregular Verbs

Must, Mustn't and Have To

Comparatives and Superlatives (Short and Long Adjectives)

Look, Smell, Taste + Adjective; Very, Really, A Bit

Imperatives for Directions and Prepositions of Place and Movement

Present Simple vs Present Continuous