Five Ways to Express Ability
English has several ways to talk about what someone can or cannot do. Each one has a slightly different meaning or use.
can + base verb — general ability in the present
could + base verb — general ability in the past
be able to + base verb — general ability in the present (more formal)
manage to + base verb — achieved something despite difficulty
succeed in + verb+ing — achieved something despite difficulty
Can and Could
Can is used for general abilities in the present. Could is used for general abilities in the past — things you were able to do at some point in your life, but not necessarily now.
She can speak three languages. (present ability)
I can't swim very well. (lack of ability)
When I was six, I could already read. (past ability)
He couldn't ride a bike until he was ten. (past lack of ability)
Be Able To
Be able to has the same meaning as can for general present ability, but it is more formal. It is also useful in tenses where can cannot be used.
She is able to work under pressure. (= she can work under pressure)
Are you able to come on Friday?
I wasn't able to finish the test in time.
Manage To and Succeed In
Both expressions mean that someone achieved something that was difficult. They are not used for general abilities — only for specific situations where effort was needed.
We managed to find a taxi at midnight. (it was hard, but we did it)
She managed to finish the report before the deadline.
He succeeded in passing the exam after three attempts.
They succeeded in fixing the problem before the show started.
⚠ Common mistakes:
✗ She succeeded to pass the exam. → ✓ She succeeded in passing the exam. (succeed in + -ing)
✗ I managed passing the test. → ✓ I managed to pass the test. (manage to + base verb)
✗ When I was young, I can swim very fast. → ✓ When I was young, I could swim very fast. (past ability = could)