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Elena Menshikova Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

Modal verbs can't vrs couldn't

Hi everybody!
Could you help me to feel the difference between can't and couldn't.

1. "Sarah couldn't have got my message. Otherwise she would have replied. "
Here we are speaking about the PAST. We are sure that Sarah didn't receive the message yesterday, 1 hour ago, 1 minute ago. So she hasn't recieved the message yet.

2. "He can't have recieved my letter because I only posted it yesterday."
Her we are also speaking about the PAST.

My question: why have "couldn't" been used in the 1-st case, and why have "can't" been used in the 2nd case. In both cases we speak about the PAST.
  

Top answer

As for the second situation, Your action, posting of letter is past but he hasn't received it yet and that is why it is can't .

— Vsuresh

  • As for the second situation, Your action, posting of letter is past but he hasn't received it yet and that is why it is can't .
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19 Answers
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As for the second situation, Your action, posting of letter is past but he hasn't received it yet and that is why it is can't.
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Elena Menshikova Hi everybody!Could you help me to feel the difference between can't and couldn't.1. "Sarah couldn't have got my message. Otherwise she would have replied. "Here we are speaking about the PAST. We are sure that Sarah didn't receive the message yesterday, 1 hour ago, 1 minute ago. So she hasn't recieved the message yet. 2. "He can't have re
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Indeed, we are talking about past events. However, the past is expressed by 'have received' and 'have got', not by the modal verb that precedes them. In this case 'could' is not the past-tense form of 'can'. It is a modal verb in its own right. You can put other modal verbs there and it will still be about the past when you use the perfect infinitive:
She may have received the letter
He
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vsureshAs for the second situation, Your action, posting of letter is past but he hasn't received it yet and that is why it is can't.
Sorry, I didn't understand...
In the 1-st case Sarah also hasn't received the message yet.
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Yoong Liatreceived - typo?
Yes.
I wonder if I can correct my printed posts?
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dishantIn this case 'could' is not the past-tense form of 'can'. It is a modal verb in its own right.
I see. So why is here can't in one case and couldn't in another?
What is the difference?
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Elena Menshikova vsureshAs for the second situation, Your action, posting of letter is past but he hasn't received it yet and that is why it is can't.Sorry, I didn't understand... In the 1-st case Sarah also hasn't received the message yet.
I am curious about this as well.
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RUGUY22I am curious about this as well.
English as I think is the language of mysteries. )))
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Elena MenshikovaMy question: why have "couldn't" been used in the 1-st case, and why have "can't" been used in the 2nd case. In both cases we speak about the PAST.
I don't think you'll find universal agreement that the second sentence is entirely about the past.

In 1 the speaker feels that the lack of a reply is evidence of what has already happened,
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Elena Menshikova I didn't understand...
The new question appeared:
How is better to say if I didn't understand smth

I didn't understand or I haven't understood?
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