ENGLISH
PORTUGUESE
LINGUISTICS & CULTURE
PORTUGUESE
LINGUISTICS & CULTURE
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ENGLISH
PORTUGUESE LINGUISTICS & CULTURE |
| Autor: | José Roberto |
| E-mail: | josezambon@terra.com.br |
| Data: | 09/NOV/2010 7:13 PM |
| Assunto: | be able to |
| Mensagem: |
If I say "I was able to go out last weekend", does it mean I definitely went out? Would it depend on the context? This is a typical case where the definite answer will come from a native speaker, in our case round here, Dale, who's always advising us on natural native-like usage. As far as I am concerned, it seems you definetely went out. One can picture the following context: there were some setbacks and I first thought I wouldn't go out, but somehow I sorted the problems out so I was free to go out. Now, that's different from I went out last weekend where we simply have one single piece of information, your going out. JR |
English Made in Brazil -- English, Portuguese, & contrastive linguistics
be able to – Natalia L. 09/NOV/2010, 1:20 PM be able to – Sidney 09/NOV/2010, 2:30 PM be able to – Natalia L. 09/NOV/2010, 2:50 PM be able to – Fox Fox 09/NOV/2010, 6:46 PM 
be able to – José Roberto 
09/NOV/2010, 7:13 PM be able to – Dale-USA 09/NOV/2010, 9:39 PM be able to – Natalia L. 09/NOV/2010, 10:41 PM be able to – orlando 09/NOV/2010, 11:24 PM be able to – José Roberto 10/NOV/2010, 1:02 AM be able to or could've / what do you mean? – Teacher 10/NOV/2010, 1:38 PM be able to or could've / what do you mean? – Deiviss 10/NOV/2010, 5:40 PM