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Flower1234 Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

Cannot or could

teacher, can I use both "could not" and "cannot" find in these sentences?

a)I lost my concert ticket. I searched my place and could not find it.

b) I lost my concert ticket. I searched my place and cannot find it.
  

Top answer

flower1234 a)I lost my concert ticket. I searched my place and could not find it. This one is correct or more appropriate, I guess.

— Laborious

  • flower1234 a)I lost my concert ticket.
  • I searched my place and could not find it.
  • This one is correct or more appropriate, I guess.
  • You searched your place (past tense) and you could not (past tense) find it.
  • If we want to say 'cannot', it's better to use/say "I am searching / I have been searching", I think.
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2 Answers
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flower1234a)I lost my concert ticket. I searched my place and could not find it.
This one is correct or more appropriate, I guess. You searched your place (past tense) and you could not (past tense) find it.

If we want to say 'cannot', it's better to use/say "I am searching / I have been searching", I think.
For e.g. I lost my concert tic
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flower1234can I use both "could not" and "cannot" find in these sentences?
No. Keep both verbs in the same tense. I searched ... I could not find ...

CJ
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