|
ESL Forum:
Techniques and methods
in Language Teaching
Games, activities
and teaching ideas
Grammar and
Linguistics
Teaching material
Concerning
worksheets
Concerning
powerpoints
Concerning online
exercises
Make suggestions,
report errors
Ask for help
Message board
|
ESL forum >
Ask for help > FEVER OR A TEMPERATURE?
FEVER OR A TEMPERATURE?
|
WestHampstead
|
FEVER OR A TEMPERATURE?
|
one doubt: what´s better he´s got fever or he´s got a temperature?
one more thing:
How do you explain the difference between could/ was able to?what´s the difference in meaning?
THANKS
|
2 Mar 2010
|
|
|
|
banska bystrica
|
Hi there,
if we talk about a single achievement, rather than a general ability in the past, we usually use able to rather than could. Compare:
Sue could play the flute quite well. (or ...was able to...; a general ability)
She swam strongly and was able to cross the river easily, even though it was swollen by the heavy rain. (not �She swam strongly and could cross .... � ; here we talk about a specific ahievement).
However, COULD is usually more natural:
-in negative setences (I tried to get up, but I couldn �t move.)
- with verbs of the senses (feel, hear, see..... ) and with verbs of thinking (believe, decide, remeber....)
- to suggest that something almost didn �t happen, particularly with almost, hardly, just, nearly (I could nearly touch the ceiling.)
I hope it helps, I used �Advanced Grammar in Use � to be brief and clear
Regarding the �fever - temperature case �, I do not know if one is better than the other, I use both of them, they are correct... 
|
2 Mar 2010
|
|
|
deadbeat
|
From the post above, we can surmise that "able to" is well suited to difficult tasks.
i.e. Little Johnny was able to climb to the top of the mountain
compared to:
Little Johnny could climb to the top of the moutain.
or: I could read your handwriting, no problem.
I was able to read you handwriting, but it was pretty tough going.
|
3 Mar 2010
|
|
|
