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Viceidol Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

the difference between can and could

About future probability:

It couldn't rain tomorrow.

It can't rain tomorrow.

It couldn't possibly rain tomorrow.

It can't possibly rain tomorrow.

About present probability:

It couldn't be true.

It can't be true.

May I ask what is the difference among those sentences? Are the meanings of the ones using "could" are less definite than the ones using "can"?

Please give me your opinion and I'll appreciate it.

  

Top answer

Simplest explanation on usage (I hope it's simple XD): Could or Couldn't: Talking about the possibility or lack of a possibility. " For instance, you can say that it "couldn't" rain, but there still may have been rain clouds over head. Conditions just happened to not allow for it to actually rain.

— Carson21

  • Simplest explanation on usage (I hope it's simple XD): Could or Couldn't: Talking about the possibility or lack of a possibility.
  • " For instance, you can say that it "couldn't" rain, but there still may have been rain clouds over head.
  • Conditions just happened to not allow for it to actually rain.
  • If you say it "can't" rain, there is virtually no possibility that it will--there are probably no clouds in the sky that will actually drop any rain.
  • More technical explanation: "Can" is a regular verb.
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12 Answers
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Simplest explanation on usage (I hope it's simple XD):

Could or Couldn't: Talking about the possibility or lack of a possibility. "It couldn't rain today" = "There's no possibility of it raining."
Can or Can't: Talking about the ability or lack of ability: "It can't rain today" = "It is not able to rain today."

For instance, you can say that it "couldn't" rain, but th

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0here are the sentence;i can takr 100 calls a day02br
02br
00i could take 100 calls a day0-
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ViceidolAre the meanings of the ones using "could" are less definite than the ones using "can"?
Yes, but in fact, I don't think I would use the ones with couldn't. They don't sound idiomatic to my ear.

CJ
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could is the past tense of can.

I can jump rope.

When I was a kid, I could jump rope.
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Anonymouscould is the past tense of can.

I can jump rope.

When I was a kid, I could jump rope.

I would avoid that explanation since:

I can not come today, but I could come tomorrow.
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great (explanation) and an event greater site i just discovered today and still it helped me a lot
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This is a great answer. Thank you Carson21.
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thanks Carson21! now I CAN understand and use the right words between them. *** bless! Emotion: smile
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In this sense,

"I can take 100 calls a day" says that it is within your capacity to take 100 calls in a day. This one is more declarative.

On the other hand, "I could take 100 calls a day" says that you can probably do take 100 calls a day. This one is more of an answer to a request. ^^
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If Could refer the 'possibility', what about the word 'may'. Could you please explain more about the words can, could, may , might
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