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PreciousJones Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

Can/could

I'm talking to my sister and I say:

You can finish the curry. Or should I use:

You could finish the curry. Is there a difference?

Or

You should finish the curry.
  

Top answer

if you say you should do something,it means,I advise you to finish the curry or I want you to finish the curry. Other answers might be helpful for you. My regards

— Everlastinghope

  • if you say you should do something,it means,I advise you to finish the curry or I want you to finish the curry.
  • Other answers might be helpful for you.
  • My regards
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2 Answers
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Hi,as far as I know,"can" is used to mean ability or the state of being able to do something.It's not impossible for your sister to finish the curry."could" is used to talk about actions or events in the past.That is,if you say that your sister could finish the curry,it means she was able to do it in the past.Also,"could" is used generally in questions to ask politely."should" sounds correct too.
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In this case, "could" should be seen as a modal rather than the past tense of "can". It indicates a polite request whereas "can" is more like a mild command ("I want you to finish the curry")

Also, "could" may signify less involvement than "can", as if you don't care whether she will finish the curry.

"should" is used to show that it was her job to begin with.
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