What is the difference between
Hi,
What is the difference between the two statements?
1-we use couldn't to say that something would not be possible.
e.g. Everything is fine right now. Things couldn't be better.
2- we use can't, not couldn't, to say that something is theoretically impossible.
e.g. There can't be many people in the world who haven't watched television.
Top answer
1. To say that the sense here is that it is not possible for things to be better is not quite right. Modals inject an element of non-absoluteness into a statement.
- 1.
- To say that the sense here is that it is not possible for things to be better is not quite right.
- Modals inject an element of non-absoluteness into a statement.
- Here there is still a sense of non-absoluteness: you're saying that things could not be better, but the presence of the modal suggests that it is not absolutely impossible for things to be better.
- 2.
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1. To say that the sense here is that it is not possible for things to be better is not quite right. Modals inject an element of non-absoluteness into a statement. Here there is still a sense of non-absoluteness: you're saying that things could not be better, but the presence of the modal suggests that it is not absolutely impossible for things to be better.
2. Similarly, to sa
0Tara2What is the difference between the two statements?
???
The first one is an attempt to explain the use of "couldn't".
The second is an attempt to explain the use of "can't".
CJ
0
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