Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[sleeper]

Hi, there.

I'd like to ask you about a fill-in-the-blank question.

Look at the dialog.

A: I heard Mary used to live in Paris. So she must be fluent in French.
B: That's when she was three or four. She said ( ), but she can't anymore.

To fill in the blank, which is corret, or better?
#1. she could speak French then
#2. she was able to speak French then

I'm looking forward to your answers.

Thanks.

[IanT]

Both are grammatically OK, in my opinion, but could sounds easier and more natural to me.

When you can't use could is for specific past moments of success (eg you must say "he was able to open the window" or "he managed to open the window"), but here, talking about a continuous ability, it's OK.

Hope helps,
Ian
_________________
All my answers refer to British English.

www.EnglishSwearing.com - How to use all the bad words! ... and ... www.throdworld.com - Silly verses to make you happy.

You decide the price for both!

[Tao]

A: I heard Mary used to live in Paris. So she must be fluent in French.
This should read: I heard Mary used to live in Paris, so she must be fluent in French. The second part is not a sentence but a dependent clause and cannot stand alone.
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TAO

[IanT]

Or you could put a comma after "So"
_________________
All my answers refer to British English.

www.EnglishSwearing.com - How to use all the bad words! ... and ... www.throdworld.com - Silly verses to make you happy.

You decide the price for both!