Grammar: Ability in the past; The and zero article p. 111

Watch the video to revise the rule and the do the exercise. Complete the rules with the correct words.
To talk about ability in the past in the ________ we use could and was / wereable to interchangeably.
In the ________ and ________ forms, their use is different: ________ is usually used to refer to general abilities in the past; ________ is used to refer to a specific ability or achievement.
Specific achievements can also be expressed using managed to followed by the ________ and succeeded in followed by the ________.

Choose the correct alternative.

1 Luckily, the firefighters ________ put out the fire before it reached the houses.
2 ________ cycle long distances when you were six?
3 Thanks to the hurricane warning we ________ putting all the farm animals in the shelter.
4 When we were children, we ________ take part in protest marches but now we can.
5 My neighbour ________ French when he was little as his mum is from Paris.
6 Dad ________ stop the car before the landslide reached the road.

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets and the verbs below.
play ● find ● reach ● book ● put ● get

1 The rescue team ________ (manage to) the skiers involved in yesterday's avalanche.
2 My sister ________ (not could) the piano very well as a child, but she was good at singing.
3 I only had a small backpack, but I ________ (be able to) in everything I needed to go hiking.
4 ________ (you / succeed in) your cycling holiday?
5 I'm really sorry I ________ (not could) here earlier! I was stuck in traffic for almost 2 hours!
6 We were all so tired that ________ (manage to) the peak of the mountain.

A: Unique objects / people (examples: sun, President)

B: Things or people in general (music, women)

C: Musical instruments with the verb play

D: Abstract nouns (trust)

E: Names of meals, materials, colours, etc.

F: Nouns with a specific meaning / that have been mentioned

G: Categories of people defined by an adjective (poor)

H: Countries with plural names (Netherlands)

I: Seas, oceans, rivers, canals, mountain ranges, island groups

J: Lakes, single mountains and islands, cities and countries

K: Means of transport

L: Nationalities, categories and groups of people or a family

Choose the correct alternative.
1 A: Did you see ________ documentary about pandas on TV last night?
B: The one that showed ________ researchers working on a rewilding project? Yes, I did!
2 A: Is ________ Pacific Ocean ________ largest one in the world?
B: Yes, and when it comes to lakes, I think ________ Lake Superior is fairly big.
3 A: Do you like ________ music?
B: I love it! My favourite is ________ rock.
4 A: Have you met ________ Curries?
B: Our new neighbours? Not yet, but I know they come from ________ Liverpool.
5 A: How important are ________ climate issues for you?
B: They're fundamental! After all, ________ Earth is our home.

Choose the correct alternative to complete Eric's blog about a school project that he and his classmates managed to do. Then think about the text. Have you ever organised anything similar? Make any changes you need and use it for your oral production.

Zero packaging = zero waste!
Hi all, since today is ________ Earh Day, I want ________ you about an awesome project we thought of ________ during an Environmental Science class. Miss Johnson had just told us about the three Rs, reduce, recycle, and ________, when my mate Jake suddenly said, 'our school cafeteria always ends up with a mountain of ________ lids and trays'. It turned out that everyone hated the ________, so we decided ________ something about it.
First, we asked the staff what packaging they used ________ most and then we spent ages to ________ for alternatives. Here's what we ________ do. We convinced ________ cafeteria to switch from single-use food containers to these cool, divided trays that could be washed and reused for different foods. Plus, for things like ________ fruit and yogurt, we decided ________ to compostable containers made from plants.
By ________ reusable and compostable, we're cutting down on ________ waste and protecting the ________ . It's a small change, but if you think about how many lunches get served every day, it makes a big difference!
As for making it a best practice? We're totally on it! We're making posters and flyers ________ spread the word among students. Maybe if our school ________ do it, others might too! Imagine all ________ plastic we could avoid using if every school cafeteria did this?