I wasn't able to do vs I couldn't do

Both "I wasn't able to do" and "I couldn't do" are correct and commonly used in English. They both convey the idea of not being able to do something in the past. The choice between them depends on personal preference or the specific context in which they are used.

Last updated: March 23, 2024 • 1651 views

I wasn't able to do

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to express the inability to do something in the past.

This phrase is used to indicate that someone did not have the capability or opportunity to do something in the past.

Show examples from the web [+]

I wasn't able to do the procedure that I'd hoped.
He did what I wasn't able to do.
What I wasn't able to do.
I wasn't able to do anything.
- what I wasn't able to do.
I wasn't able to do that for Amanda.
And if I wasn't able to do it properly, I'd be letting myself and you down.
I've been feeling bad because I wasn't able to do anything kind for you.
I need to do something soon, something in group, since I wasn't able to do anything alone.
But she fights back, so I wasn't able to do it.
And I still wasn't able to do what you did.
Guys, I wasn't able to recover the memories.
I wasn't able to find Joey.
And I wasn't able to destroy that.
I wasn't able to get Led Zeppelin.
I wasn't able to protect them all, Vicar.
I wasn't able to go very fast because of my injury.
Apparently, I wasn't able to give him that.
I wasn't able to clear my schedule.
I wasn't able to keep the child, so...

Alternatives:

I was unable to do
I could not do

I couldn't do

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to express the inability to do something in the past.

This phrase is used to indicate that someone did not have the ability or opportunity to do something in the past.

Show examples from the web [+]

I was her big brother, and I couldn't do anything.
I couldn't do it to Damon.
I couldn't do artificial respiration.
And I couldn't do other than I did.
I couldn't do that to Mary Beth.
No, I couldn't do that to Nicole.
I couldn't do that to our daughter.
Pools, raffles, card games, I couldn't do anything.
I couldn't do the thing for robert.
Except I couldn't do anything for Greta today.
I couldn't do it to Andrew.
I couldn't do anything, I was just... paralysed.
And I couldn't do anything for her.
I couldn't do anything to help save the son...
And I couldn't do anything because of my wrist.
I couldn't do that to Michelle.
I couldn't do any more than that.
Because I couldn't do my job.
That I couldn't do anything on my own.
As his hyung, I couldn't do anything to help.

Alternatives:

I could not do
I was unable to do

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9).

"Thank you!"
Sachi Nakama July 2024
"I have literally been through chat, PI, claude, bard and bing and I got conflicting answers! Thank you! Human intelligence reigns!"
Retha July 2024
"Faster than AI"
CYNTHIA December 2023
"This was very helpful and I personally think this site is the best."
Kaden October 2023
"It was extremely thorough and very helpful!"
imperialelisa October 2023
"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"
Zubair Alam October 2023
"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."
Selena October 2023
"Without textranch I would be stuck!"
宏祐 October 2023
"Accuracy and fast response. Personal comments from editor. Thank you."
Clh September 2023
"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"
Arturo September 2023
"The fact that you can get reliable fast feedback on your texts."
Vinicius Antonio August 2023
"you guys are better than grammarly i'm being honest here"
ordinary July 2023
"OMG! This is really good than any other text correction tools I've used so far. Highly recommend this."
Vehan July 2023
"Very fast and accurate. thank you."
mojtaba July 2023
"I love this app because it's help to writing skills all of students ♥️"
Tarisini July 2023
"This was exactly the mistake I was looking for, the wording dind´t sound right at first. Better than grammarly!"
Ente July 2023
"The immediate help that I received was reassuring and very satisfactory. Thanks."
priiiyanshuu July 2023
"this helps A LOT for my studies."
kathnunez02 June 2023
"Woow!! I would never have expected such precision! Thank you soooo much!!"
Berta June 2023
"Real Time Editor and not AI. Many Thanks."
Priya June 2023
"The very first thing excites me about Textranch is how much your editors care."
sepideh June 2023
"The fact that texts are checked by human editors rather than by AI, etc. I appreciate this!"
Анна June 2023
"Feel welcome, immediate response, high quality feedback"
martin.roy June 2023
"This is the best app that I have ever seen"
Burulai May 2023

I wasn't able to do vs I couldn't do

I wasn't able to do

I couldn't do

Related Comparisons

What Our Customers Are Saying