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Anonymous Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Meaning alteration

Does the word 'can' alter the meaning of this sentence?

I will lend you my car if you (can) introduce me to her.

I will lend you my car if you (can) help me.

Thanks.
  

Top answer

Anonymous Does the word 'can' alter the meaning of these sentence s ? Yes. It makes them sound less matter-of-fact and demanding and makes them sound more friendly.

— CalifJim

  • Anonymous Does the word 'can' alter the meaning of these sentence s ?
  • Yes.
  • It makes them sound less matter-of-fact and demanding and makes them sound more friendly.
  • Frequently, when you question someone's ability to do something, you have absolutely no real interest in this ability because you have already assumed the answer is "yes", so the reason for questioning their ability is to make your request, demand, or suggestion less direct, to avoid sounding too rude.
  • CJ
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8 Answers
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AnonymousDoes the word 'can' alter the meaning of these sentences?
Yes. It makes them sound less matter-of-fact and demanding and makes them sound more friendly.

Frequently, when you question someone's ability to do something, you have absolutely no real interest in this a
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CalifJim AnonymousDoes the word 'can' alter the meaning of these sentences?Yes. It makes them sound less matter-of-fact and demanding and makes them sound more friendly.Frequently, when you question someone's ability to do something, you have absolutely no real interest in this ability because you have already assumed the answer is "yes", so the reason for questioning the
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Anonymouswhat you meant by a matter of fact?
It's not "a matter of fact", the noun. It's the adjective "matter-of-fact", by which I meant something like "blunt", "cold", "unfriendly".

The rest of your recap is correct.

CJ
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CalifJimIt's not "a matter of fact", the noun. It's the adjective "matter-of-fact", by which I meant something like "blunt", "cold", "unfriendly".
Opps. I did not know that and thought they had the same meaning but different structure.
CalifJimThe rest of your recap is correct.
Although what I had in mind regarding ‘matter-
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Anonymousthe fact that using ‘can’ implies somewhat of an ability question
It does more than imply an ability question. It is an ability question.
Anonymouswithout it, it’s somewhat more about the actual occurrence of the request
Yes. Without 'can', it's not an ability question.
Anonymous
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Awesome. I am glad i understood the difference and everything is clear now. Emotion: smile
CalifJimIt does more that imply
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AnonymousCalifJimIt does more that imply an ability question Is there an error in this sentence, because I don’t understand it?
You're smart enough to find the typo, aren't you?

"more than", not "more that".

CJ
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CalifJimYou're smart enough to find the typo, aren't you?"more than", not "more that".
Some times I feel I am dumb haha.
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