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PreciousJones Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

could/can

I have unused canned soup. Could/can I bring them to skid row to donate?

What'sthe difference between using could or can in this situation? Can both be used?

What would a native use?

Thanks!
  

Top answer

" Less formally, though, "can" and "could" are pretty much interchangeable. "

— Scott Ryan

  • " Less formally, though, "can" and "could" are pretty much interchangeable.
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3 Answers
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In more formal English, we'd probably say, "May I bring them to donate?" Less formally, though, "can" and "could" are pretty much interchangeable. Generally, we use "could" (and other subjunctives, like "would" and "might") to make our requests a little less abrupt; "Can I see that?" is a bit more brusque, I think, than "Could I see that?"
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PreciousJonesWhat would a native use?
I would use 'can'.

'could' is more deferential, and in my opinion, it's not necessary to be deferential when making an offer. You're not asking for a favor; you're offering to do a favor.

CJ
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Hi,

Be careful with your pronouns.

I have unused canned soup. Could/can I bring it to skid row to donate?

I have unused cans of soup. Could/can I bring them to skid row to donate?

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