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Anonymous Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

can and could

0Hi,02br
02br
00I have difficulty in using the modals 'can' and 'could' mainly due to the fact that I feel they can be used in replacement of each other in some situations, exept for the fact that one is more polite than the other.02br
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00Are the sitations fit the above category of being easily replaceable with one another?02br
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01i00Please write 10 things you can/could do to be a better person.02i02br
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01i00What can/could you do to help this poor gentleman?02i02br
02br
01i00I know. There is a thing he can/could do to help that gentleman. 02i02br
02br
01i00Could/can you pass me the paper?02i0-
  

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2 Answers
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0IMHO in your first three examples, the use of "can" seems to imply the possibility that any suggestions might be implemented, while "could" simply makes it sound like an exercise.02br
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00In the last one, "could" is polite, although it's recently been argued in a post that technically speaking, we may be asking if the second person is able.0-
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01cite10Anonymous12cite10I feel they can be used in replacement of each other in some situations, exept for the fact that one is more polite than the other.12blockquote
10 That's it, for the most part, but 01i00could02i00 gives a sense of remoteness that 01i00can02i00 doe
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