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Viceidol Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

can, could and may (to tell people to do things)

0 I'll go the cooking, and you 01font01b00can02b02font00 do the washing. 02br
00I'll go the cooking, and you 01font01b00could02b02font00 do the washing. 02br
00I'll go the cooking, and you 01font01b00may02b02font00 do the washing. 02br
02br
00If you don't have anything to do, you 01b01font00can02font02b00 wash the dishes. 02br
00If you don't have anything to do, you 01b01font00could02font02b00 wash the dishes. 02br
00If you don't have anything to do, you 01b01font00may02font02b00 wash the dishes. 02br
02br
00When you've finished with dishes, you 01b01font00can 02font02b00clean the kitchen. 02br
00When you've finished with dishes, you 01b01font00could02font02b00 clean the kitchen. 02br
00When you've finished with dishes, you 01b01font00may02font02b00 clean the kitchen. 02br
02br
00All the sentences are comparing "can", "could" and "may". Do these 02br
00"can", "could" and "may" mean the same thing in the above examples? 02br
02br
00Thank you very much for your reply!! 0-
  

Top answer

02br 02br 00I'll 01u 00do02u 00 the cooking, and you 01font 01b 00can02b 02font 00 do the washing. 02br 00I'll 01u 00do 02u 00the cooking, and you 01font 01b 00could02b 02font 00 do the washing. A request or suggestion to them02br 02br 00If you don't have anything to do, you 01b 01font 00can02font 02b 00 wash the dishes.

— Nona the brit

  • 02br 02br 00I'll 01u 00do02u 00 the cooking, and you 01font 01b 00can02b 02font 00 do the washing.
  • 02br 00I'll 01u 00do 02u 00the cooking, and you 01font 01b 00could02b 02font 00 do the washing.
  • A request or suggestion to them02br 02br 00If you don't have anything to do, you 01b 01font 00can02font 02b 00 wash the dishes.
  • 02br 00If you don't have anything to do, you 01b 01font 00could02font 02b 00 wash the dishes.
  • A request or suggestion02br 02br 00When you've finished with dishes, you 01b 01font 00can 02font 02b 00clean the kitchen.
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4 Answers
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0Not quite.02br
02br
00'May' is used when you are giving permission to someone to do something, rather than asking them to do something.02br
02br
00I'll 01u00do02u00 the cooking, and you 01font01b00can02b02font00 do the washing. An order to them.02br
00I'll 01
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0In all of your examples, I hear 01i00can02i00 as the best choice. I hear it as a suggestion.02br
00I find 01i00may02i00 to be very formal in these contexts. I'd never use it.02br
02br
01i00could02i00 sounds out of place in the first sentence. 02br
00In the second sentence (with 01i
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0 However, while I agree with the above, I think that there's a place for01i00 01b00may02b00 02i00here, if it shows 01b01i00possibility, not a suggestion02i02b00: 02br
01i00 I'll do the cooking, and there's 01b00a good chance02b00 that you 01font
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0Thank you so much for your replies. I completely understand now.0-
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