0
Hans51 Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

I couldn't pass the exam. VS. I didn't pass the exam.

I couldn't pass the exam. VS. I didn't pass the exam.

I think that the first one is natural but I heard that someone say the latter one. So is there a meaning difference between them?

What do you native English speakers think?

Thank you so much as usual in advance!
  

Top answer

Hans51 I couldn't pass the exam. You were not able to pass the exam. Perhaps you were suffering from a migraine headache when you took the exam.

  • Hans51 I couldn't pass the exam.
  • You were not able to pass the exam.
  • Perhaps you were suffering from a migraine headache when you took the exam.
  • Hans51 I didn't pass the exam.
  • A simple fact that you failed.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

1 Answers
0
Hans51I couldn't pass the exam.
You were not able to pass the exam. Perhaps you were suffering from a migraine headache when you took the exam.
Hans51I didn't pass the exam.
A simple fact that you failed.

Related Questions