Expressing permission in the past

We use could to say that something was permitted in the past: Many years ago you could smoke in cinemas, but now it’s banned.

We also use was / were allowed in the past: We had to wear a tie at school, but we were allowed to take it off in hot weather

Refusing permission

We use couldn’t / wasn’t allowed to to say that something was not permitted in the past: We couldn’t cross the border without our passports.

Must not / mustn’t is also used for permission, but is more formal. It is often used on signs and in announcements: Passengers must not speak to the driver while the bus is in motion.

Asking about the past:

We use was allowed to? Could you? to ask if something was permitted in the past.

Were you allowed to stay up late when you were a child?*

Could you stay up late when you were a child?*

Could people travel between East and West Berlin during the Cold War?*

Here my answers: 💁🏾‍♀️

• I was allowed to play outside, but I didn’t like it.
• Of course, I was allowed to stay up late, If I was done my responsabilities
• Yes, I was allowed to have a phone, under the condition of be supervised.

When I was a child, I was allowed to play outside in the park in the apartment complex, not outside of those. So, I wasn’t allowed to stay up late, because I should be at home before the sun goes down. Finally, When I was a child the cellphones didn’t exists.

SUMMARY:
We can construct these sentences with a very particular grammatical structure that will help you transmit that message: The BE ALLOWED TO.
SUBJECT + VERB TO BE (PAST FORM) + ALLOWED + TO VERB (INFINITIVE FORM) + COMPLEMENT
VERB TO BE (PAST FORM) : was/were or wasn’t/weren’t

• Let’s see how these examples look in a complete way:
  I was allowed to leave early.
  They weren’t allowed to go to the prom party.

• What is the difference between using COULD and BE ALLOWED TO? There is one very important difference that we can see with two examples. That might look the same but they actually have very different intentions and meaning.
  I couldn’t attend the meeting (something happened: maybe you were late or sick or had something else to do). For some reason you were not here.
  I wasn’t allowed to attend the meeting (someone explicitly said you can’t go to the meeting).
  When you use COULD, you are talking about a capacity and ability that you have. But when you are using ALLOWED TO, someone is giving you that capacity to do something.

• Let’s practice: when you were a child:
  Were you allowed to play outside?
  Yes, I was allowed to play outside but my parents knew where I was and I wasn’t allowed to come home late.
  Were you allowed to stay up late?
  Yes, I was allowed to stay up late if the next day I didn’t have to go to class. I always got up early to go to class
  Were you allowed to have a cellphone?
  I never had my own cellphone when I was a child.

1. I wasn’t allowed to play outside, I always played inside the house.
2. I wasn’t allowed to stay up late , I went to sleep early
3. I wasn’t allowed to have a cellphone because It didn’t necessary in that moment.

1. Not always, but yes, sometimes I was allowed to play outside.
2. I wasn’t allowed to stay up late when I was a child.
3. When I was a child I wasn’t allowed to have a cellphone.

Expressing permission in the past

We used this structure to indicate that another person or authority does or doesn’t permission.

Subject + was/were/wasn’t/weren’t + allowed + to + verb + complement

Examples

• I was allowed to leave early.
  Me permitieron salir temprano.
• They weren’t allowed to go the Prom party.
  Ellos/ellas no tienen permitido or a la fiesta de graducación.

Allowed vs. be allowed to

If we use “could” is because something happens that limit our ability to perform the action. When we use “allowed to” some person or authority explicitly said you can or can’t do that.

• I couldn’t attend the meeting.
• I wasn’t allowed to attend the meeting.

I was allowed to play outside with my friends
I wasn’t allowed to stay up late

Time to practice!
.
When you were a child …
.

1. Were you allowed to play outside?
   • I was allowed to play outside, but only in the afternoon. Because I started school in the morning.
2. Were you allowed to stay up late?
   • I could only stay until 9pm. Because I started school at 6 am.
3. Were you allowed to have a cellphone?
   • When I was a child, cellphones didn’t exist.

✅

1. Were you allowed to play outside?
   • “When I was a child, yes, I was allowed to play outside. My parents would let me play in the backyard during the day, but I had to come inside before it got dark.”
2. Were you allowed to stay up late?
   • “When I was young, no, I wasn’t allowed to stay up late on school nights. My parents had a strict bedtime for me, and I had to be in bed by a certain time to ensure I got enough rest for school the next day.”
3. Were you allowed to have a cellphone?
   • “When I was a child, having a cellphone wasn’t as common as it is today. I wasn’t allowed to have a cellphone until I was a bit older, maybe around middle school or high school. My parents wanted to make sure I was responsible enough to handle the responsibility of having a phone.”

“They were allowed to bring their pets to the pet-friendly hotel.”

• When I was a chlid, my parents allowed me to play outside.
• When I was a child, I wasn´t allowed to stay up late
• When I was a chlid, I was allowed to have a cellphone.

Were you allowed to play outside?
R: yes, my childhood sometime was really funny!

Were you allowed to stay up late?
R: No, i had to be up early next day!

Were you allowed to have a cellphone?
R: when i was fifteen years old i had my first cell phone! the cellphones were really different before

I were allowed to play outside when I was a child.
I weren´t allowed to stay up late when I was a child.
When I was a child, I weren´t allowed to have a cellphone. Only I was allowed when I´ve got 18.

When I was a child I was allowed to play outside When I was a child I was allowed to stay up late only on the weekends When I was a little child cellphone doesn't exist but when I was a teen I was allowed to have one

"Expressing permission in the past"
When you were a child

1. Were you allowed to play outside?
   R// Yes I was allowed to play outside with my friends but always with supervision.
2. Were you allowed to stay up late?
   R// No, I wasn’t allowed to stay up late when I was younger.
3. Were you allowed to have a cellphone?
   R// Yes, I had a cellphone cause my dad allowed to have them since I had 15 years old.

• Were you alloews to play outside?
  Yes, I was allowed to play outside when I was a kid for many hours.
• Were you allowed to stay up late?
  No, I wasn’t allowed to stay up late when I was younger jajaja.
• Were you allowed yo have a cellphone?
  Yes, I was allowed to have a cellphone, but I wasn’t allowed to take it to school.

I was allowed to play outside on the weekends
I was allowed to stay up late. I missed it.
I wasn’t allowed to have a phone, because one didn’t exist when I was a child.

• When i was a child, my mother did not allow me to play outside frequently.
• No, my parents didn’t let me stay up late.
• My mother did not allow me have a cellphone, My first cell phone was when I was 14 years old.

There is a mistake in the presentation:
They weren’t allowed to go the the Prom party. It should be to

I wasn´t allowed to play outside, I used to play in my home.
I wasn´t allowed to stay up when I was a child because I had to go to school.
I wasn´t allowed to have cellphone because I was a underage.

When I was a child I was allowed to play outside and stay up late on weekends. But, i wasn’t allowed to have a cell phone until I turned 15.

• of course I was allowed to play outside when I was a kid, my parents let me play with friends but only on weekends, during the week I had to be focus on my study, also I couldn’t play after 8:00pm, it was dinner time.
• ussualy no, my parents made me goto sleep early.
• no, they don’t like cellphones on children, I was allowed to have one when I growed up.

When I was a child, I was allowed to play outside just after 4 PM. My parents rarely allowed me to stay up late I had been sleeping around 9 PM and they allowed me to have a cellphone when I was 10 years old.

When I was a child, I was allowed to play outside for long hours.
When I was a child, I wasn´t allowed to stay up late.
When I was a child, I wasn´t allowed to ave a cellphone

Were you allowed to play outside?

• When I was child My parents allowed to get out always to play with my friends

• Were you allowed to stay up late?

• Not quite… but all at home not had goods habits for going to sleep. So, my family allowed to me stay up late.

• Were you allowed to have a cellphone?
Yes, I had a cellphone cause my dad allowed to have them since I had 12 years old.

Exercise:

• Were you allowed to play outside? Yes, I was allowed with the condition of just certain time.
• Were you allowed to stay up late? No, I wasn’t allowed to stay up for late.
• Were you allowed to have a cellphone? No, I wasn’t allowed to have a cellphone. I have my first cellphone when I was fifteen years old.

Were you allowed to play outside?

• Yes I was allowed to play outside with my friends but always with supervision.

Were you allowed to stay up late?
No, I wasn`t allowed to stay up late.

Were you allowed to have a cellphone?
Yes, I was allowed to have a cellphone, but was a simple phone, just to answer calls

When you are a child…

• Where you allowed to play outside?

  Yes, I played soccer for many hours

• Were you allowed to stay up late?

  No, I slept early around 8pm or 9pm

• Were you allowed to have a cellphone?

  No, my frist cellphone I bought when I was 17 years old

1. Yes, of course. I was allowed to play outside as long as I do my homework.

2. I was allowed to stay up late every weekend.

3. I wasn’t allowed to have a cellphone until my eleven years old.

1. i was allowed to play outside until the sunset
2. i was’nt allowed to stay up late beacuse i had to go to school early
3. i was allowed to have a cellphone for important calls by my parents

-I was allowed to play with my friends outside until 7:00 pm.
-I was not allowed to be too late, I had to go bed at 8:30.
-I was allowed to have a cell phone when I was fourteen years old.

when I was a child I was allowed to play outside but only before sun came out, I wasn’t allowed to stay up late untill 17, and I wasn’t allowed to have a cellphone but i could use my mom’s cellphone.

Expressiong Permission in the Past ✅

• On where i was allowed or wasn’t allowed to do something.

<aside>
💡 It’s used because someone else got me permission or not.

</aside>

Structure:

• Subject + Was / Were / Wasn’t / Weren’t + Allowed + Infinitive Verb + Complement.

Examples:

• They weren’t allowed to visit the party of theirs friends.

Could vs. Allowed to ✅

1. Couldn’t refers in my own terms.

   Remember, Could is the Can Past.

2. To allow. It’s used when someone allow someone else.

Practicing 🔥

1. I wasn’t allowed to play outside with friends because they’re bad influences.
2. I was allowed to stay up late just on holidays.
3. No, i wasn’t allowed untill fifth-teens.

We use “Could” for things we are able to do and “allow” for things that depend on other people.

I was ot allowed to play outside because I had to feed the animals and I didn’t have t time.
If they allowed me to stay late watching television.
I didn’t not know the cellphone in those times because there was light.

1. Yes, my parents always allowed me to play outside.
2. My parents didn’t let me get up late because I had to study early.
3. They did not allow me to have a cell phone because it did not exist at the time.

The difference between the use of “allowed to do something” or “could” is this:

• Could : As much we wanted to do something, we could not do that. Example: “I couldn’t go to India (maybe because i don’t have enough money”

• Allowed: I can do something, but someone else told me that i don’t have to do that (maybe because it goes against the rules) Example: “I didn’t eat the piece of cake because my doctor told me i shouldn’t”

Is there any way to use this in the future?

• When I was a child, wasn’t allowed to play outside

• When I was a child, wasn’t allowed to stay up late. I remember that I had a schedule to get into bed and after that time I should stay into bed

-When I was a child, allowed had a phone but couldn’t carry on to the school

In my high school, I was allowed to put on you a sweater or scarf with the uniform, if you wanted to look popular, you’ll wear a sweater of vivid colors.

When I were a child…

I was allowed to play outside

I wasn’t allowed to stay up late

I wasn’t allowed to have a cellphone

• when I was kid I was allowed play outside all the time and all day I back to my house only for eat and take a shower xD

• mm Sometimes I was allowed stay up late, occasionally to watch a movie with my family.

• I wasn’t allowed to have a cellphone, maybe my first cellphone was when I had 15 years old.

I was allowed to play outside but an adult had to supervise me

I was allowed to stay up late because my grandfathers were who took care of me.

I wasn’t allowed to have a cellphone When I was a kid, I have one until 14

When i was a child i was allowed to play outside after i did the homework
I wasn´t allowed to stay up late
I wasn´t allowed to have a cell phone

When you were a child…
Were you allowed to play outside?
Yes, I was allowed play with my friends.
Were you allowed to stay up late?
Yes, I was allowed because I finished my homework.
Were you allowed to have a cellphone?
No, because there were no smart phones.

My practice:

• Yes, I was allowed to play outside.

• No, I wasn´t allowed to say up late.

• Yes, I was allowed to have a cellphone.

My input
1)Yes, when I was a child , I was allowed to play with my friends until late.
2)Yes, when I was a child.I remembered. I wasn’t allowed between week, and on the weekend I was allowed to satay up late.
3)When I was a child , I was allowed to have a cellphone.

thanks for reading

Time to practice!

Were you allowed to play outside?
I was allowed to play outside 'til 6 pm
Were you allowed to stay up late?
I wasn’t allowed to stay up late.
Were you allowed to have a cellphone?
I wasn´t allowed until 15 years.

1. When I was a child I was allowed to play outside.
2. When I was a child I wasn’t allowed to stay up late.
3. When I was a child I was allowed to have cellphone since I was 8 years old.

When I was a child:

• I was allowed to play outside with my friends.
• I wasn’t allowed to stay up late.
• When I was a child I wasn’t allowed to have a cell phone because they were too expensive for most people.

Yes, I was allowed to play outside, I think that is a great way to relating with people.
No, I wasn’t allowed to stay up late
No, when I was a child the cellphone didn’t exist.

Notes and activities of the class

I was allowed to play outside but I had to stay at home so early.
I wasn´t allowed to stay up late that’s why I had to stay at home early when I played outside jeje.
I was allowed to have a cellphone since I was 11 because my parents used to travel a lot.

When I was child, I wasn’t allowed go to sleep late.

Ohhh thank you so much, i did not know this

i wasn’t allowed to lay outside
i was allowed to stay up late
i wasn’t allowed to hace a cellphone

1. My parents, i was allowed to play outside in front of my house, but don’t in others sites.
2. My parents, i wasn’t allowed to stay up late, only leave me until nine o clock.
3. My parents i wasn’t allowed to have a cellphone. I had my first cellphone until 22 years old when giving to me a cousin

• I was allowed to play outside.

• I wasn’t allowed to play up late, just untill 9:00pm.

• I wasn’t allowed to have cellphone, because they didn’t exist.