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wasn't able vs Wasn't been able

The correct phrase is "wasn't able." It uses the past simple tense of the verb "to be" followed by the adjective "able." The phrase "wasn't been able" is incorrect.
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Explained by Jennifer
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: November 01, 2024 • 10969 views

wasn't able

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This phrase is used to indicate that someone was not capable of doing something in the past.

Examples:

  • I wasn't able to finish my homework last night.
  • She wasn't able to attend the meeting due to a prior commitment.
  • Nov 18, 2015 ... We use "wasn't able to" when we talk about one action in the past and "couldn't" when repeated actions in the past.
  • Feb 21, 2020 ... Why, for example, do we say, “I couldn't resist” and not “I wasn't able to resist”? In many instances, they are interchangeable. We would be ...
  • Sep 19, 2022 ... Hi, does anyone know how to resolve the warning: The dependency resolution engine wasn't able to find a version of module <insert module ...
  • Aug 16, 2022 ... Saying "I wasn't able to" could convey a feeling that "I tried everything, and it still didn't work out" if you are trying to come across more ...
  • May 4, 2024 ... "Sorry, Google wasn't able to send your request to..." I added a POP3 email to Gmail so I can check my business emails from Gmail. When ...
  • Jan 19, 2024 ... 422 Error: "Wasn't able to obtain correlation key for expression =response.body.opportunity_id" · Camunda 8 Topics Discussion & Questions · csh3 ...
  • Jul 4, 2012 ... Veeam Community discussions and solutions for: Error: wasn't able to parse uuid of Veeam Backup & Replication.
  • Nov 2, 2022 ... The Microsoft Connectivity Analyzer wasn't able to validate Outlook Autodiscover settings. I'm working on getting everyone switched over to Modern ...
  • Dec 2, 2017 ... All three of your sentences are grammatically well-formed, but they mean different things. I wasn't able to ride a bike until I was 20 means ...
  • Server wasn't able to start properly Strapi / Heroku / Postgresql · General · Adhshran_Kirubakaran March 18, 2021, 10:18am 1. Hi Guys. So I deployed my last ...

Wasn't been able

This phrase is incorrect in English.

  • Jul 1, 2015 ... However, are you absolutely sure that "wasn't been able to" constitutes an ungrammatical structure? I'm asking because I've been able ( ;) ) to ...
  • Aug 15, 2021 ... Still, I wasn't been able to make it work. That code placed in my .md document renders as plain text. Does it need a shortcode to work? I ...
  • Mar 2, 2023 ... Lol I came to this page 2 months ago for this same issue but since you hadn't commented, I wasn't been able to get back the file. But seeing ...
  • Mar 27, 2023 ... Tyronn Lue said he lost 7 family members since December back home in Missouri, but wasn't been able to make it to any of the funerals because ...
  • Nov 11, 2018 ... I fixed the problem with fillet as well, it was loft, was creating extra points and fillet wasn't been able to draw a curve as points where to ...
  • Oct 29, 2016 ... Hello, i recently installed kali linux and after instaling it i wanted to install google chrome, but i wasn't been able to because libapp ...
  • Sep 3, 2013 ... I want to setup a multiplayer server where my only friend can join it... I trued with "create" from the game but he wasn't been able to find my ...
  • Dec 1, 2019 ... When I changed grade levels, I wasn't been able to use the activity, because I hadn't taught geometry. I LOVED the math project so much that ...
  • May 6, 2020 ... Of course after that I wasn't been able to use my HDD on the Windows as it is displayed as "invalid". And when I mount the only remaining ...

Alternatives:

  • wasn't able to
  • couldn't
  • was unable to
  • failed to
  • didn't manage to

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