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Anonymous Posted 10 years ago
Vocabulary

Could have got

"It was chilling to see how calculating that leopard was—and how thoroughly she checked for a way into the car. There is no doubt that she could not only distinguish between the car and the humans inside, but would have attacked us if she could have got through a window. I still shudder when I think how quickly the situation could have turned to tragedy, and it’s a reminder of just how wild Kruger can be." (From a SA's newspaper.)

Does "if she could have got..." mean exactly the same if replaced by "if she had got..." in the above?
  

Top answer

" in the above? No, because the latter does not include the suggestion of possibility/ability. However, the gist is essentially the same.

— Mister Micawber

  • " in the above?
  • No, because the latter does not include the suggestion of possibility/ability.
  • However, the gist is essentially the same.
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2 Answers
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AnonymousDoes "if she could have got..." mean exactly the same if replaced by "if she had got..." in the above?
No, because the latter does not include the suggestion of possibility/ability. However, the gist is essentially the same.
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Thank you, MM, for the reply.
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