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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Vocabulary
Could vs can
Hi,
"The day when News Corporation and the Murdochs exit from UK newspapers completely could be fast approaching." [From The Independent.]
I've got some problems with modality of the verb "can". In my native tongue I'd use "can" instead of "could" in such a context. I can't catch up with the subtle difference in meaning between the present "can" and past form of this verb, i.e. "could" used as it is in the sentence. So, what is the difference?
Thank you.
"The day when News Corporation and the Murdochs exit from UK newspapers completely could be fast approaching." [From The Independent.]
I've got some problems with modality of the verb "can". In my native tongue I'd use "can" instead of "could" in such a context. I can't catch up with the subtle difference in meaning between the present "can" and past form of this verb, i.e. "could" used as it is in the sentence. So, what is the difference?
Thank you.
Top answer
'Could' is not past here; it is a more tentative form or 'can', a hidden conditional. ]
- 'Could' is not past here; it is a more tentative form or 'can', a hidden conditional.
- ]
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2 Answers
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'Could' is not past here; it is a more tentative form or 'can', a hidden conditional.
The day could be fast approaching [IF I have analyzed the news correctly / IF the Murdoch empires continues to erode / etc.]
The day could be fast approaching [IF I have analyzed the news correctly / IF the Murdoch empires continues to erode / etc.]
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