Ability

I never remember password. (hopeless at)

I am hopeless at remembering password.

My parents don’t have a clue how to get broadband. (no idea)

My parents have no idea how to get broadband.

I was able to send an email, but I don’t know if it arrived. (manage)

I managed to send an email, but I don’t know if it arrived.

I could get emails, but I couldn’t send any. (be able to, not be able to).

I was able to get emails, but I wasn’t able to send any.

Ability - Guess My Name

Ability Guess my Name

When I was child, I was quite good at ……………

And I was also able to …………quite well,

But I was completely useless at …………

I also found ……….. is very difficult.

However I could …….better than some of the other kids at school

And by the age of …….. I knew how …..

I also managed to pass …………when I was

These days I think I’m quite good at ………..and I am not bad at ……..either.

Unfortunately I have no idea how …………and most of my friends think I am terrible at …………

And I still don’t know how …………

Some of my friends are actually quite talented.

For example, my friend ……..is brilliant at….

And as for my family, my ………I able to …………quite well,

But my …………hasn’t got a clue how to ………

My daughter can use computer much better than me (know how).

My daughter know how to use computer much better than me.

Ability Chapter 7 GE 8

CAN DO	CAN NOT DO
Manage to do something Be (q-v-r) good at doing something Can do something Find something  (q-v-r) easy to do Know how to do something Be able to do something	Be useless at doing something Have not / has not got a clue how to do something Have no idea to do something Find something (q – v – r) difficult to do Be no good at doing something
I usually manage to find what I want, but not always. I managed to download some new software, but it took me ages to find out how to do it. I am quite good at doing this. I can always find what I want. I could do these things after I read the instructions. I find this quite easy to do. I think I know how to do this, but I haven’t done it for a while. I am able to use the most new stuff after a very short time. I was able to learn this very quickly.	I am still useless at doing these things. I haven’t got a clue how to do this. I have no idea to do this. I find it difficult to use anything new unless someone shows me. I am no good at using new stuff without help. I did not have a clue how to use it. I am really useless at football, but he is brilliant at it.
I am (brilliant – great – excellence – not bad) at writing.	I am ( hopeless – bad – terrible – awful- rubbish) at singing and art.

Ability in the past:

Was / were not able to do something: I was not able to learn this quickly.

Could /could not do something: I could not do these things immediately.

I can do this easily.

I am able to do this easily.

I don’t know how to play football.

I am useless at playing football.

Fixing problem on my computer is very easy.

I find fixing problem on my computer easy to do.

I can speak English well.

I am good at speaking English.

I don’t know how to use a computer.

I have no idea how to use a computer.

I can’t play football at all.

I haven’t got a clue how to play football.

I couldn’t swim when I was five.

I wasn’t able to swim when I was five.

I can’t make cakes.

I am not good at making cakes.

I passed my exams, but they were very difficult.

I managed to pass exams, but they were very difficult.

COLIN  

I don’t play very often and I’m useless at remembering the rules, but I’m actually quite good and annoy people by saying I haven’t got a clue how to play and then winning!

I learned when I was a teenager but I never managed to make much progress. I found it really hard to remember the notes. In the end my mum couldn’t stand the noise and I gave up.

MORAG

It’s embarrassing but I don’t know how to. I mean at school we had lessons but I really hated it. It was always so cold. And I never go to the sea on holiday because I’m really into climbing.

It’s only a hobby although I have sold a few things. My husband says I’m brilliant, but I think that’s exaggerating. I think I’m quite good with colour, that’s all.

AMY                     

I’m absolutely hopeless – I just can’t hear the notes. I mean it sounds alright to me but it’s not very nice for other people.

I’m not bad, actually! I train every evening for about two hours. I’ve never managed to win a race – but I know I’m going to win something soon.