Man of Steel: Could x Managed to

  Man of Steel: Could x Managed to

 MODAL VERBS

IMPORTANT NOTES:

We use could to talk about an ability somebody had in the past.

 We use managed to to talk about a specific event in the past.

Examples:

I could swim when I was six.

Last Saturday evening was tough. I felt good because I was able to swim 6,500 meters.

He could speak French quite well.

He managed to speak French to the policeman to explain what had happened.

She could design beautiful outfits. 

They managed to design a dress which pleased that customer immensely. 

However, with verbs that refer to the five senses, see, hear, smell, feel, taste, and with verbs that refer to thought processes, understand, believe, remember, decide, we normally use could, even when we are talking about specific occasions.

. Talk to  a partner.

1. Imagine that you are a person with super powers. Make a list of five powers you would like to have, ranking them in order of priority.

a) ______________________________________________________

b) ______________________________________________________

c) ______________________________________________________

d) ______________________________________________________

e) ______________________________________________________

2. Show your partner your list and come up with five powers you both would like to have.

a) ______________________________________________________

b) ______________________________________________________

c) ______________________________________________________

d) ______________________________________________________

e) ______________________________________________________

3. Think about three things that you could do very well when you were a child/teen.

a) ______________________________________________________

b) ______________________________________________________

c) ______________________________________________________

4. Think about one or two situations in which you managed to do something that you didn't expect you would be able to do successfully, but that you actually did.

a) ______________________________________________________

B) ______________________________________________________