able
able — adjective
1. having what you need to do something — for example the strength, knowledge, time
having what you need to do something — for example the strength, knowledge, time, money, or chance — so that doing it is possible for you.
Bram was able to lift the heavy box because she trains at the gym every morning.
be able to + verb showing physical capability
After three months of lessons, Wen is finally able to read short stories in Spanish.
be able to + verb after gaining a skill
The Watanabe family were not able to attend the wedding because of the typhoon.
Will you be able to pick up the kids from school on Friday afternoon?
Nobody was able to answer the teacher's last question.
文法句型
be able to + verb
able to do something
用法筆記
Predicative only — cannot stand before a noun in this sense. You say 'she is able to swim' but not 'an able to swim girl'. Past form 'was/were able to' often replaces 'could' when reporting one specific success rather than a general capacity.
常見錯誤
2. to do something with less difficulty than before, usually after some change in y
to do something with less difficulty than before, usually after some change in your situation that makes the task smoother.
With her new glasses, Grandma Lin is much better able to read the newspaper at breakfast.
comparative: better able to + verb
After moving closer to the office, Theo is more able to spend evenings with his children.
more able to + verb
Quiet classrooms help shy students feel better able to ask their teacher for help.
Once the road reopened, the village was again able to receive fresh supplies twice a week.
- better placed to
stresses that the situation, not the person, has improved
- in a better position to
more formal phrasing for the same idea
- less able to
the comparative opposite within the same pattern
文法句型
be better able to + verb
be more able to + verb
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense almost always appears with 'better', 'more', 'less', or 'again', signalling a change that has made the action easier than it was. Plain 'be able to' without one of these markers belongs to sense 1.
常見錯誤
3. clever and good at a job — used as a quiet compliment to describe someone whose
clever and good at a job — used as a quiet compliment to describe someone whose work is reliably of high quality.
Dr. Sven is an able surgeon whose patients travel from across the country to see her.
attributive: an able + profession noun
The new mayor surrounded herself with able advisers who knew the city well.
attributive plural: able + people noun
Few writers are abler than Morrison at painting a whole family in a single paragraph.
The school lost one of its ablest teachers when Mr. Park retired last summer.
- incompetent
stronger; suggests work falls below an acceptable level
- inept
formal; stresses clumsy or awkward performance
文法句型
an able + noun
用法筆記
Attributive only — placed before a noun, never after a linking verb in this sense. 'She is able' means sense 1 (she can do it), not 'she is skilful'. Common with profession nouns: lawyer, manager, teacher, leader, scholar.
常見錯誤
able — suffix
1. a word ending joined to a verb to make an adjective meaning that the thing descr
a word ending joined to a verb to make an adjective meaning that the thing described can have the verb's action done to it — for example, 'washable' clothes are clothes you can wash.
The cushion covers are washable, so coffee spills are not a disaster at our dinner parties.
wash + -able = can be washed
Rashida chose a recyclable lunchbox to take to her first day at the new office.
recycle + -able = can be recycled
The doctor said the small lump on his shoulder was harmless and easily removable.
Most plastic forks at the festival were not biodegradable, which upset the local volunteers.
- -ible
same meaning; used mostly on Latin roots (visible, edible)
- un- + verb + -able
the negative form (unbreakable, unreadable)
文法句型
verb + -able → adjective
用法筆記
Often spelled '-ible' on roots taken from Latin (visible, edible, audible). For verbs ending in silent 'e', drop the 'e' before adding '-able' (move → movable, like → likable), though some words keep it (changeable, noticeable) to protect a soft 'g' or 'c' sound.
常見錯誤
2. a word ending joined to a verb to make an adjective meaning that the thing descr
a word ending joined to a verb to make an adjective meaning that the thing described deserves the verb's action — for example, a 'lovable' puppy is one that deserves to be loved.
The new puppy at the shelter has soft brown ears and a lovable face.
love + -able = deserving to be loved
Aunt Rosa made a memorable speech at the wedding that the whole family still quotes.
memory/remember + -able = worth remembering
The little café near the station serves a very respectable breakfast for the price.
Theo thought the old film was laughable rather than scary.
- -worthy
similar meaning of deserving (praiseworthy, trustworthy, noteworthy)
- un- + verb + -able
the negative form (unforgivable, unforgettable)
文法句型
verb + -able → adjective
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: in sense 1 the action is simply possible (a 'readable' file = one a computer can open); in sense 2 the action is deserved or recommended (a 'readable' novel = one worth reading). Many '-able' words sit in both senses depending on context.