[Grammar] When I was little, my family and I used to go to the seasides.

[newkeenlearner]

Hi again,
I would like to talk about the possible thing in the past. I think I know that I can't use 'COULD', so are these following choices correct?


"When I was little, my family and I used to go to the seasides. We often rented a holiday flat by the see, so we were able to/managed to go for a walk along the beach everyday."



lots of thanks.

 

[emsr2d2]

Hi again,
I would like to talk about [STRIKE]the possible thing[/STRIKE] possibility in the past. I think I know that I can't use 'COULD', so are these following choices correct?

"When I was little, my family and I used to go to the [STRIKE]seasides[/STRIKE] seaside. We often rented a holiday flat by the [STRIKE]see[/STRIKE] sea, so we were able to/managed to go for a walk along the beach [STRIKE]everyday[/STRIKE] every day."

[STRIKE]lots of[/STRIKE] Many thanks.

Neither of your choices is as natural as "could". "Were able to" is just about OK. "Managed to" has a completely different meaning. Why do you think you can't use "could" there? It works well.

I rented a car so I could drive to see my parents.
We often stayed in a beachfront hotel so we could walk on the beach every day.

Note my various corrections above.

 

[newkeenlearner]

Why do you think you can't use "could" there?

I get really confused. :-(
In Oxford Practice Grammar :
"We don't normally use COULD for something that happened on a particular occasion in the past. We use was able to and managed to."

"We use COULD to talk about things we were able to do generally in the past: I COULD run 100 meters in 12 seconds when I was young. She COULD read when she was only three."

 

[emsr2d2]

Well, you've answered your own question. It says we can use "could" for things we generally did in the past. By saying "We often rented a holiday flat by the sea", you have demonstrated a general action.

However, I have to disagree with the Oxford Practice Grammar. In BrE, we certainly use "could" related to single actions in the past. My first example sentence in post #2 demonstrates that. It would be unnatural for me to say "I rented car so that I was able to visit my parents".

 

[newkeenlearner]

Well, you've answered your own question. It says we can use "could" for things we generally did in the past. By saying "We often rented a holiday flat by the sea", you have demonstrated a general action.

Thanks teacher for your explanations.
If I change my original sentence to the following, is "were able to" work , too?

"When I was little, my family and I go to the seasides in Italy. We rented a holiday flat by the see, so we were able to/managed to go for a walk along the beach everyday."

However, I have to disagree with the Oxford Practice Grammar. In BrE, we certainly use "could" related to single actions in the past. My first example sentence in post #2 demonstrates that. It would be unnatural for me to say "I rented car so that I was able to visit my parents".

I have almost 5 grammar books. In all of them they state the same rule for using "could" as Oxford states.

 

[andrewg927]

Not if we actually carried out the single action

I forgot to turn off the stove! How could you?

 

[GoesStation]

Seaside is singular. See is a verb. Can you find the errors regarding these words in your sentences?

 

[emsr2d2]

Those errors were corrected in post #2, GS.

 

[GoesStation]

Those errors were corrected in post #2, GS.

I saw that. They were repeated in post #5, though, so I reiterated the corrections.