Guidelines

Should I use can or could?

Should I use can or could?

The modal verbs can and could represent the ability of a person or thing in doing something. However, there is a difference in their usage, as ‘can’ is used in present situation, whereas we can use ‘could’ for talking about a past ability. Both are followed by a base form of the verb.

Can and could sentences examples?

‘can’ and ‘could’

  • They could come by car. (= Maybe they will come by car.)
  • It can be very cold here in winter. (= It is sometimes very cold here in winter.)
  • That can’t be true.
  • It’s ten o’clock.
  • It could be very cold there in winter.
  • They know the way here.
  • She can speak several languages.
  • I can see you.

Is it grammatically correct to use that that in a sentence?

A: When a sentence has two words back to back, like “that that” or “this this,” we hear an echo. But your sentences are good examples; both are grammatically correct and neither requires any special punctuation. Let’s look at them one at a time.

Is it Can I or could I?

For example, “Could I please have some water?” Could is the past tense of can. However, when asking for permission, could does not have a past tense meaning. Could has the same meaning as may when making requests. It is equally polite to say “Could I leave early?” or “May I leave early?”

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Can you give or could you give?

When offering help to someone, use can. Example: “Can I open the bottle for you?”. Could is unusual, formal, and archaic here. Could is used in two more ways where can isn’t normal.

How can I use could in a sentence?

In the sentence “We could have as many as ten people come to dinner tonight,” could is used to say that it is possible that ten people will come to the speaker’s home for dinner (“I think that it is possible we will have as many as ten people for dinner tonight.”).

How can I use could in question?

We often use could in a question to ask somebody to do something. The use of could in this way is fairly polite (formal): Could you tell me where the bank is, please? Could you send me a catalogue, please?

How can I use that in English grammar?

We use that to introduce defining relative clauses. We can use that instead of who, whom or which to refer to people, animals and things. That is more informal than who or which: She picked up the hairbrush that she had left on the bed.

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Can you put two that in a sentence?

Yes, the words “that that” can appear in a grammatically correct sentence. The first “that” is a relative pronoun (typically used to clarify something), and the second “that” is a demonstrative pronoun (specifying the subject matter at hand). For example: “Are you looking for these parts for your vacuum?

Can you would you could you?

‘Would You’ is a decorous manner of asking something from someone. ‘Could You’ is considered to be an informal way of asking something, contrary, ‘Would You’ is a formal way of requesting someone to do something.

Can you give me or could you give me?

There is no difference in meaning, there is only difference in tone: “Could you…?” is more tentative and thus considered politer/gentler than “Can you …?”

What is the connotation of could and can?

Like can, could can be used of possibility as well, but the connotation is slightly different. In the sentence “We can have as many as ten people for dinner tonight,” can is used to show ability (“We are able to have as many as ten people for dinner tonight;” “We have enough food/space for ten people.”).

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How do you use the word can in a sentence?

These are: when can is used to describe ability (“I can change the oil in my car without help.”), ask for permission (“Can I go to the movies tonight?”), or say whether something is possible or not (“Do you think he can win the race?”).

When to use be able to instead of can or could?

We sometimes use be able to instead of “can” or “could” for ability. Be able to is possible in all tenses – but “can” is possible only in the present and “could” is possible only in the past for ability. In addition, “can” and “could” have no infinitive form. So we use be able to when we want to use

What is the difference between could and can for permission?

The use of can for permission is informal.) Could is an auxiliary verb, a modal auxiliary verb. We use could to: talk about past possibility or ability The main verb is always the bare infinitive (infinitive without to ). swim. walk.? swim? Could is invariable. There is only one form: could The main verb is always the bare infinitive.