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General past ability, and why it is not used for one completed achievement.
Why you specifically
The rule
Could is used to talk about general ability in the past. It often describes a skill, a repeated ability, or something someone was able to do over a period of time: I could swim when I was a child. It is not the normal choice for one finished achievement at a single moment. For that, English often uses was able to, managed to, or a different past-tense verb: I managed to open the door after several tries.
The trap
I was able to swim when I was five.
I could swim when I was five.
Could is used for general ability in the past.
She can speak French very well as a child.
She could speak French very well as a child.
Could is correct for a past ability that lasted over time.
I could find my keys this morning.
I could not find my keys this morning.
Could not expresses past inability.
He can play the piano when he was young.
He could play the piano when he was young.
Could shows a general past skill or ability.
Prove it
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