saber, poder - mixed exercises

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Exercises

Complete the following sentences with the correct forms of saber or poder.

  1. Lidia y Marina llegan tarde. No que la reunión se ha adelantado.[Lidia and Marina are late. They don’t know that the meeting has been brought forward.]|Lack of knowledge about a fact → saber
  2. Hoy no quedar con vosotros. Ya tengo un compromiso.[I can’t meet you today. I have a prior commitment.]|Unable to do something in a specific situation → poder
  3. Cuando termine con mis deberes ayudarte con los tuyos.[When I finish my homework I will be able to help you with yours.]|Able to do something in a specific situation → poder
  4. ser que mañana llegue tu paquete.[You’re parcel might arrive tomorrow.]|Expressing possibility → poder
  5. ¿ poner acento irlandés?[Do you know how to do an Irish accent?]|Learned/innate ability, know-how → saber
  6. ¿ bailar con el pie escayolado?[Can you dance with your foot in plaster?]|Physical ability at the moment of speaking → poder
  7. No qué le pasa al ordenador: se ha quedado en negro.[I don’t know what happened to the computer: it went black.]|Lack of information about a fact → saber
  8. No hacer la paella: no tenemos azafrán.[We can’t make paella, we don’t have any saffron.]|Lack of ability at the moment of speaking → poder
  9. ¿ hablar danés?[Do you know how to speak Danish?]|Innate/learned ability, know-how → saber
  10. No venir a la fiesta: no os han invitado.[You can’t come to the party: you weren’t invited.]|Permission → poder

Read the following situations and complete the sentences with the correct forms of poder o saber.

  1. Gabriela está muy resfriada.
    → No respirar por la nariz.[Gabriela has a bad cold.|→She can’t breathe through her nose.]|Lack of physical ability at the moment of speaking → poder
  2. La calle es demasiado estrecha.
    → No pasar con el coche.[The street is too narrow.|→I can’t go down it in the car.]|Physical ability at the moment of speaking → poder
  3. Has vivido diez años en Londres.
    → hablar inglés perfectamente.[You lived in London for ten years.|→You know how to speak English perfectly.]|Learned ability with languages, know-how → saber
  4. Soy muy torpe.
    → No andar a la pata coja.[I’m so clumsy.|→I don’t know how to hop on one leg.]|(Lack of) innate ability or know-how → saber
  5. Tengo siete dioptrías en cada ojo.
    → No leer sin gafas.[I have a prescription of seven in each eye.|I can’t read without glasses.]|Physical ability → poder
  6. Hemos perdido el mapa de carreteras.
    → No llegar al campamento.[We’ve lost the road map.|→We don’t know the way to the camp ground.]|Lack of information → saber
  7. No tengo un martillo.
    → No colgar este cuadro.[I don’t have a hammer.|→I can’t hang this painting.]|Lack of ability at the moment of speaking → poder
  8. No se me dan bien las matemáticas.
    → No resolver esta ecuación.[I’m not good at maths.|→I don’t know how to solve this equation.]|(Lack of) innate ability or know-how → saber
  9. No soy bueno en la cocina y la paella es un plato complicado.
    → No hacer una paella auténtica.[I’m not a good cook and paella is a complicated dish.|→I don’t know how to make an authentic paella.]|(Lack of) innate/learned ability or know-how → saber
  10. ¿Conoces alguna receta buena de tacos mexicanos?
    → ¿ preparar tacos mexicanos?[Do you know any good recipes for Mexican tacos?|→Do you know how to make Mexican tacos?]|Learned ability, know-how → saber