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Anonymous Posted 7 years ago
Grammar
“can’t have” and “couldn’t have”
What is the difference between the two?
He can’t have slept through all that noise.
He couldn’t have slept through all that noise.
i understand both refer to something in the past.
Top answer
"can't have" feels more informal/colloquial, and is used mostly about recent events, whose effect has present relevance. "couldn't have" can be used about recent events and also historical events.
- "can't have" feels more informal/colloquial, and is used mostly about recent events, whose effect has present relevance.
- "couldn't have" can be used about recent events and also historical events.
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1 Answers
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"can't have" feels more informal/colloquial, and is used mostly about recent events, whose effect has present relevance. "couldn't have" can be used about recent events and also historical events.
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