|| *general ability* | *specific achievement*|
|--|--|--|
| present| **Can/be able to** ("He can speak Spanish") | **can/be able to**("He has now recovered from his injury and is able to drive again") |
| past | **could/be able to** | **be able to** ("Jenny was able to leave the hospital only six hours after the baby was born")|

## Can/Could
- **NOTICE**: we commonly use [[Can and could|can or could]], even when we are talking about specific occasions, with the verbs of senses and thinking.
- to talk about something that is happening as we are speaking:
	> Look, I **can** swim
- before *be + past participle*
	> This furniture **can be assembled** by anyone, with just a screwdriver
- **can**: when we make a decision now about something in the future:
	> Perhaps we can meet next week
	> You can go home when you've finished writing your composition

## Be able to
- if the idea we want to express needs a **to-infinitive/gerund form/perfect tense/modal verb** (TIGer PM)
	> We were very lucky to be able ..... not being able to ... have been able etc
- we use **will be able to** to say that something will be possible in the *future*
	> When the new road is built, I'll be able to drive to work in under half an hou