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Kooyeen Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

how could you?

0 Hi,02br
02br
01b00How can you eat that stuff? Gross! (How can you = How is it possible that you do...)02b02br
02br
00I'd like to know how to 01u00make that negative02u00, with a meaning "How is it possible that you don't..." - Should I say "How can't you...?", like "How can't you know that? Everybody knows!"02br
02br
01b00How could you do that to your mother? 02b00(How could you = I'm kind of shocked, I can't believe you did something like that, but you 01u01b00did02b02u00)02br
02br
00I'd like to know if I can also use "How could" when I'm referring to something that didn't actually happened. Example:02br
01b00How could I steal the money? I was nearly a thousand miles away from here!02b02br
00Or do I have to say 01b00"How can I have stolen the money? I was..."02b02br
02br
00Thanks 050010id1
  

Top answer

0 01b 00How can you eat that stuff? Gross! ", like "How can't you know that?

— CalifJim

  • 0 01b 00How can you eat that stuff?
  • Gross!
  • ", like "How can't you know that?
  • 02font 02br 02br 01b 00How could you do that to your mother?
  • 02b 00(How could you = I'm kind of shocked, I can't believe you did something like that, but you 01u 01b 00did02b 02u 00) 01font 00Not exactly.
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3 Answers
0
0 01b00How can you eat that stuff? Gross! (How can you = How is it possible that you do...)02b02br
02br
00 I'd like to know how to 01u00make that negative02u00, with a meaning "How is it possible that you don't..." - Should I say "How can't you...?", like "How can't you know that? Everybody knows!"02br
02br
01fon
0
0
0 Thank you Jim,02br
00 I'm afraid I've been interpreting "How could" the wrong way. I'd like to ask something more, with some examples in different contexts.02br
02br
01u01i01b01font00 Criticizing:02font02b02i02u02br
01b00 What? You are stealing money from you
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0
0 01u01i01b01font00 Criticizing:02font02b02i02u02br
01b00 What? You are stealing money from your mother? How could you!02b00 01font00(also "can", right?02font00 01font00Right.02font00)02
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