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Read the following sentences.
• He tried to walk but he couldn’t.

• Very soon, he could run faster than his friends.

Now complete the sentences with could / couldn’t.

1. We tried to catch the bus but we ___________________.

2. We started early so we ___________________ reach in time.

3. We ___________________ see anything because it was dark.

4. The police ___________________ catch the thief after a long chase.
5. The doctors tried their best but they ___________________ save the patient.

6. Raman ran fast but he ___________________ win the race.

Pronunciation

Read these words aloud. Note the difference in the sound of the letters ed.
called looked walked poured locked laughed

showed passed bumed recovered talked knocked

Separate the words into two groups ('t' sound and 'd' sound) as shown.

looked ( 't' sound ) poured ( 'd' sound )
__________________________________ __________________________________

__________________________________ __________________________________

__________________________________ __________________________________

__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________

Conversation Skills

Expressing Possibilities and Impossibilities
Here are some expressions we use to express possibilities and impossibilities.

Possibilities Impossibilities

Do you think it is possible? I don’t think it is possible.
I think it is going to........ It’s very doubtful.

There’s a good chance that..... It’s quite impossible.

24 Arrow-English Plus-4