Can is the present tense modal verb used to express someone's ability. I can book that appointment for you right now if you'd like. Could is the past tense modal verb used to express someone's ability. Harpreet could have pitched a perfect game if his manager had kept him in.
Mar 23, 2023
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Where do we use can and could?
Can is used when referring to something with a strong possibility or occurring, whereas could is used to refer to something that has a weak possibility. Both can and could can be used to make a request, but when asking for permission, could is the more polite choice to use.
What are the 10 examples of could?

Could Sentence Examples

I wish you could hear yourself talking. ...
What could he do about it but lose more sleep? ...
How could she blame him? ...
How could he find out? ...
I never thought I could do it. ...
I could not help it.
When to use can and could with examples worksheet?

'can' and 'could'

We use could to show that something is possible, but not certain: ...
We use can to make general statements about what is possible: ...
We use can't or cannot to say that something is impossible: ...
We use could have to make guesses about the past: ...
We use could to make general statements about the past:
How do you use can correctly?
We use can to express possibility or to question possibilities: We can go to Rome in June because both of us have a week off work. (It is possible for us to go to Rome because we don't have to work in June.)
As the page says, can is used for general statements about possibility while could is more specific. In your examples, the first sentence is a general statement ...
Can is used when referring to something with a strong possibility or occurring, whereas could is used to refer to something that has a weak possibility. Both ...
Sep 14, 2023 · Can is typically used for direct requests, whilst could conveys a more polite and reserved tone. Can I use can and could interchangeably?
Can is used to describe an ability or permission. It can also refer to a general truth or something that has a strong sense of possibility. Could is used to ...
Can, like could and would, is used to ask a polite question, but can is only used to ask permission to do or say something ("Can I borrow your car?" "Can I get ...
'Can' is commonly used to talk about something that is possible in the present or future, while 'could' is commonly used to talk about possibilities in the past ...
Aug 26, 2022 · It is commonly used together with other verbs to express ability, possibility, or permission (asking and giving). For example: ... The simple past ...