Are these correct:
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1-He was able to repair the television but he decided not to.
He had the ability to repair the television, but he decided not to.
[color=red]2-He was able to paint his room but he hired a painter to do it.
He had the ability to paint his room but he hired a painter to do it.
‘He was able to…’ could mean 'he managed to… I think it is ambiguous.
Gratefully,
Navi.
To me, “was able” suggest a completed action.
So I find it odd that “He was able to repair the television” is followed by “but he decided not to”. I think the verb you’re looking for is “could”.
It’s not ambiguous because of the second phrase.
I agree that ‘was able’ suggests that the following action was completed. I think for clarity you need to get away from a modal construction and say something like - He had the ability to do/He was capable of doing.