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Anonymous Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

PLEASE HELP ME IN THIS QUESTION

Justify the use of could+perfect infinitive in the following sentences:
1- I could have lent you the brolly.Why didn't you ask me?
2- He could have sent the letter.
  

Top answer

Sending the letter, and lending them the brolly, is something that they could have done, but they didn't. With the first sentence: If the person has not yet gone out, the lender would say "I could lend you the brolly" (so you don't get wet). As the person had already gone out, and returned (I assume wet), the lender said "I could have lent you the brolly", indicating they were willing to lend it to the person before they went out.

— A Cornish Pasty

  • Sending the letter, and lending them the brolly, is something that they could have done, but they didn't.
  • With the first sentence: If the person has not yet gone out, the lender would say "I could lend you the brolly" (so you don't get wet).
  • As the person had already gone out, and returned (I assume wet), the lender said "I could have lent you the brolly", indicating they were willing to lend it to the person before they went out.
  • I hope this is clear enough...
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1 Answers
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Sending the letter, and lending them the brolly, is something that they could have done, but they didn't.

With the first sentence: If the person has not yet gone out, the lender would say "I could lend you the brolly" (so you don't get wet).

As the person had already gone out, and returned (I assume wet), the lender said "I could have lent you the brolly", indicating they were wi
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