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Icadia Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
The usage of "could"
"They do bring us trinkets from their travels, but we could really use the money."
This sentence is from a letter in dear abby.
I don't understand what the "could" really means in the sentence.
I've referred to some dictionaries to find out how it is used in the sentence, but I still don't understand what it is used for.
I guess the usage of “could” in this sentence is a lot different than that of other sentences I've seen in which "could” can expresses "possibility", "past ability", “requesting", "suggesting", and the like.
I have no idea what it is used to express. I need your help.
I am waiting for your answers. thanks for reading.
This sentence is from a letter in dear abby.
I don't understand what the "could" really means in the sentence.
I've referred to some dictionaries to find out how it is used in the sentence, but I still don't understand what it is used for.
I guess the usage of “could” in this sentence is a lot different than that of other sentences I've seen in which "could” can expresses "possibility", "past ability", “requesting", "suggesting", and the like.
I have no idea what it is used to express. I need your help.
I am waiting for your answers. thanks for reading.
Top answer
The meaning of could here is the past of can . You cann't use can for the past sentence instead of could. It's a grammer mandatory rule.
- The meaning of could here is the past of can .
- You cann't use can for the past sentence instead of could.
- It's a grammer mandatory rule.
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5 Answers
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The meaning of could here is the past of can. You cann't use can for the past sentence instead of could. It's a grammer mandatory rule.
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Icadia"They do bring us trinkets from their travels, but we could really use the money."
This sentence is from a letter in dear abby.
I don't understand what the "could" really means in the sentence.
I've referred to some dictionaries to find out how it is used in the sentence, but I still don't understand what it is used for.
00
Icadia"They do bring us trinkets from their travels, but we could really use the money."We could really use the money. = We would really be able to use the money.
could really (use) suggests an intense imagining, in this case, imagining how very great a help the money would be to them because of their great need.
I could really
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thank all of you.
you helped me. however, I am wondering why the dictionaries - even my grammar book - I refer to don't explain the usage in detail.
while it's possible that I don't perfectly understand the chapter for "could" in my book, I've never seen the usage of an intense imagination in any book, any dictionary.
It's a little embarrassing problem considering I
you helped me. however, I am wondering why the dictionaries - even my grammar book - I refer to don't explain the usage in detail.
while it's possible that I don't perfectly understand the chapter for "could" in my book, I've never seen the usage of an intense imagination in any book, any dictionary.
It's a little embarrassing problem considering I
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IcadiaI've never seen the usage of an intense imagination in any book, any dictionary.It's not could by itself that is the problem. It's that could (and all other words) can be used in combination with other words to form phrases -- as in could really use. The phrases may have surprising meanings that you wouldn't guess from the meanin
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