Modal verbs
17. To be able (in past). Negative sentences and questions
Теория
Study some information about negative sentences and questions with 'to be able to' in past.
 
Для построения отрицательного предложения с to be able to в прошедшем времени необходимо использовать следующий порядок слов:
subject \(+\) was/were \(+\) not \(+\) able to \(+\) Verb in the \(1\)st form (without 'to') \(+\) other parts of the sentence.
She was not able to cook well when he was ten.
  
making-food-982410_640.png
Рис. \(1\). Cooking
 
Для построения общего и специального вопросов используйте следующий порядок слов.
  
General question
Was/Were \(+\) subject \(+\) able to \(+\) Verb in the \(1\)st form (without 'to') \(+\) other parts of the sentence?
Were you able to read when you were at school?
 
reading-925589_640.png
Рис. \(2\). Reading  
 
Special question
Question word (when, how, what....) \(+\) was/were \(+\) subject \(+\) able to \(+\) Verb in the \(1\)st form (without 'to') \(+\) other parts of the sentence?
What were they able to do when they lived in Italy?
Источники:
Рис. 1. Cooking, 2013, https://pixabay.com/images/id-982410/, Pixabay License CC0 Free for commercial use No attribution required
Рис. 2. Reading, 2015, https://pixabay.com/images/id-925589/ Pixabay License CC0 Free for commercial use No attribution required