able
adjective /ˈeɪbl/
/ˈeɪbl/
Word Family
- able adjective (≠ unable)
- ably adverb
- ability noun (≠ inability)
- disabled adjective
- disability noun
- able to do something (used as a modal verb) to have the skill, intelligence, opportunity, etc. needed to do something
- You must be able to speak French for this job.
- A viral illness left her barely able to walk.
- We're still able to get visas to come and go from Thailand.
- I didn't feel able to disagree with him.
- Will you be able to come?
- Are you really willing and able to do what is necessary?
- They don't even seem able to see what's good about their ideas.
- These families are less able to afford a balanced, healthy diet.
Grammar Point can / could / be able to / managecan / could / be able to / manage- Can is used to say that somebody knows how to do something:
- Can you play the piano?
- I can hear someone calling.
- Can is also used with passive infinitives to talk about what it is possible to do:
- The podcast can be downloaded here.
- Can or be able to are used to say that something is possible or that somebody has the opportunity to do something:
- Can you/are you able to come on Saturday?
- You use be able to to form the future and perfect tenses and the infinitive:
- You’ll be able to get a taxi outside the station.
- I haven’t been able to get much work done today.
- She’d love to be able to play the piano.
- Could is used to talk about what someone was generally able to do in the past:
- Our daughter could walk when she was nine months old.
- You use was/were able to or manage (but not could) when you are saying that something was possible on a particular occasion in the past:
- I was able to/managed to find some useful books in the library.
- I could find some useful books in the library.
- We weren’t able to/didn’t manage to/couldn’t get there in time.
- I could see there was something wrong.
- Could have is used when you are saying that it was possible for somebody to do something in the past but they did not try:
- I could have won the game but decided to let her win.
Extra Examples- Local farmers were able to make a decent living selling their produce.
- Humans are uniquely able to use true language.
- I was just able to make out a dark figure in the distance.
- Once you've had some sleep you'll feel better able to cope.
- She is not physically able to take care of herself.
- Unfortunately they weren't able to come.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- feel
- prove
- …
- fully
- perfectly
- quite
- …
- (comparative ablerintelligent; good at something/ˈeɪblə(r)//ˈeɪblər/, superlative ablest/ˈeɪblɪst//ˈeɪblɪst/)
- She's the ablest student in the class.
- We aim to help the less able in society to lead an independent life.
Extra ExamplesTopics Personal qualitiesc1- He was a very able man in business matters.
- less able students
- She seems very able.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
see also ably
Word Originlate Middle English (also in the sense ‘easy to use, suitable’): from Old French hable, from Latin habilis ‘handy’, from habere ‘to hold’.