AIRMEN’S JOURNAL
PILOT’S TALK
← Level B lessonsNORTHEAST STORM · LEVEL B · UNIT 11

What Passengers Could Do

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Practice note: Grammar examples and role-play details may be hypothetical. Questions explicitly about the article use the reported facts. This is a historical report, not current travel advice.

Words from the text: move a trip, alternative, without paying, under the waiver's conditions, disrupt, impact, affected, flexibility, figures, eligible, conditions

A In Unit 4 you learned to use can for permission or possibility now. Any fee exemption comes from the waiver's conditions, not from can itself.

Eligible passengers can move their trip to an alternative flight without paying extra money.

Right now, affected customers can change their flight under the airline's conditions.

B Use could for permission or possibility that existed in the past. Could is the past form of can. We use it to talk about what was true before, for example during a storm or last week.

Cape Air said that passengers could move their trip to an alternative flight until October 2.

The waiver gave affected passengers more flexibility — they could move their trip without paying extra fees.

Last Saturday, affected passengers could change their flight without paying a fee.

Русскоговорящие часто используют can и для прошлой ситуации («passengers can change...» вместо «could change...»). Для общей возможности в завершённой прошлой ситуации используем could. В косвенной речи can иногда сохраняется, если правило всё ещё действует.

C The negative is couldn't (could not). The question form is Could + subject + verb...?

In this practice scenario, the old ticket rules required a fee, so passengers couldn't change that ticket without paying the fee.

Could passengers travel without paying extra money because of the storm's impact? Yes, they could, under the waiver's conditions.

Exercises

Write your answers below, then open Answers. There is no automatic checking. Entries are not saved when you leave this page.

11.1 Choose can or could. Think about the time: now (can) or a past situation (could).

Example: Last week, affected passengers can/could change their flights without a change fee. → could

  1. Right now, eligible customers can/could change their flight under the airline's conditions.
  2. Last week, when the storm disrupted flights, Cape Air passengers can/could move their trip to an alternative flight.
  3. Today, passengers can/could check the latest figures on the airline's website.
  4. Last week, under the old rules in this practice scenario, passengers can/could not change this ticket without paying a fee.
  5. Now, you can/could call Delta to ask about the waiver.
  6. Last Saturday, affected passengers can/could move their flights until October 2.
  7. This month, eligible passengers can/could travel under the waiver's conditions.
Answers

For open questions, these are model answers. Other answers may also be correct.

  1. can
  2. could
  3. can
  4. could (the sentence already contains not)
  5. can
  6. could
  7. can

11.2 Write practice sentences about past possibility. Use could and the words given; these statements are hypothetical grammar examples.

  1. Delta customers / change their flight / without paying a change fee / under the waiver's conditions
  2. JetBlue passengers / change their plans / under the waiver's conditions
  3. affected passengers / ask an agent / about an alternative flight
  4. eligible customers / check / whether their ticket was covered
  5. Cape Air passengers / move their trip / to an alternative flight
  6. passengers / check / the new figures on the website
Answers

For open questions, these are model answers. Other answers may also be correct.

  1. Delta customers could change their flight without paying a change fee under the waiver's conditions.
  2. JetBlue passengers could change their plans under the waiver's conditions.
  3. Affected passengers could ask an agent about an alternative flight.
  4. Eligible customers could check whether their ticket was covered.
  5. Cape Air passengers could move their trip to an alternative flight.
  6. Passengers could check the new figures on the website.

11.3 Answer the questions about the text. Use could where possible; say when the text does not give enough information.

Example: What could Cape Air passengers do if their North Region flight was canceled? → They could move their trip to an alternative flight until October 2 without paying extra fees.

  1. Could passengers change their flight without paying a change fee under Delta's waiver?
  2. What could eligible JetBlue passengers do between September 25 and 27?
  3. Could Cape Air passengers travel after October 2 without paying extra fees?
  4. What could American Airlines and United Airlines passengers do for selected Northeast airports?
  5. Could all affected flights be changed without a change fee before the airlines issued waivers?
Answers

For open questions, these are model answers. Other answers may also be correct.

  1. Yes, they could change their flight without paying a change fee.
  2. They could change their flight bookings under the waiver's conditions.
  3. October 2 was the limit under the described waiver. The text does not state the rules for travel after that date.
  4. They could change their flight bookings under each airline's own terms.
  5. The text does not state the fee rules before the waivers.

11.4 Complete the practice sentences with can/could and the verb in brackets. Use the negative only where the bracket says not.

  1. Last Saturday, Cape Air passengers (move) their trip to an alternative flight.
  2. Right now, passengers (check) the latest figures online.
  3. Right now, eligible JetBlue customers (change) their booking under the waiver's conditions.
  4. Under the old rules in this practice scenario, passengers (not/change) this ticket without paying a fee.
  5. At present, eligible customers (move) their trip under the waiver's conditions.
Answers

For open questions, these are model answers. Other answers may also be correct.

  1. could move
  2. can check
  3. can change
  4. couldn't change
  5. can move