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Joe2012 Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Regarding the usage of "couldn't" in past tense

Sentence: "Sorry I couldn't come/came back to you I was busy"

My question/doubt: Can couldn't be used to denote the past tense ? Is the above sentence right in using it ?

Thanks
  

Top answer

Hi, Sentence: "Sorry I couldn't come /came back to you . I was busy" The normal idiom is ' get back to you', meaning 'reply, speak to you again'. My question/doubt: Can couldn't be used to denote the past tense ?

— Clive

  • Hi, Sentence: "Sorry I couldn't come /came back to you .
  • I was busy" The normal idiom is ' get back to you', meaning 'reply, speak to you again'.
  • My question/doubt: Can couldn't be used to denote the past tense ?
  • Yes Is the above sentence right in using it ?
  • Yes Clive
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4 Answers
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Hi,

Sentence: "Sorry I couldn't come/came back to you. I was busy"

The normal idiom is 'get back to you', meaning 'reply, speak to you again'.

My question/doubt: Can couldn't be used to denote the past tense ? Yes

Is the above sentence right in using it ? Yes



Clive
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RazerSentence: "Sorry I couldn't come/came back to you I was busy"
Regarding come/came: All modals (can, could, will, would, ...) and their negations (can't, couldn't, won't, wouldn't, ...) must be followed by the base form of a verb.

couldn't come, couldn't get, couldn't see, could do, can find, can't hear, ...

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