Can vs could grammar?

Can vs could grammar?

Can, like could and would, is used to ask a polite question, but can is only used to ask permission to do or say something ("Can I borrow your car?" "Can I get you something to drink?"). Could is the past tense of can, but it also has uses apart from that--and that is where the confusion lies.

IS can grammatically correct?

But the permission use of can is not in fact incorrect in standard English. The only difference between the two verbs is that one is more polite than the other. In informal contexts it's perfectly acceptable to use can; in formal situations it would be better to use may.

Can vs could sentence?

She can speak several languages. He can swim like a fish. ... She could speak several languages. They couldn't dance very well.

Could VS can Formal?

Discussing a Possibility: “Can” suggests a strong possibility or a general truth. “May” and “could” suggest we are less certain about something. Asking for Permission: You can use all three words to ask for permission. To be formal, though, you should use “may” instead of “could” or “can.”

Can you vs Will you?

May implies that you are asking for permission. Can implies that you are questioning somebody's ability. Will implies that you are seeking an answer about the future.

Could you VS would you?

Main Differences Between Could You and Would You 'Could You' indicate someone to do something in an alacrity way, whereas 'Would You' implies that someone is asking for a favor in an appropriate and polite way.

Is it grammatically correct to say may you?

In this case, may is wrong because she is not asking or giving permission: she is making a request. So: may and can are used interchangeably when asking or giving permission. would (or will) and can (or could) are used interchangeably when making a request.

Which is more polite can you or could you?

To answer the question: "could" definitely sounds slightly more polite than "can" to a native speaker since it is less direct and more deferential as a result. "Could" is a form of "can", so both are technically asking "are you able to...". This is not the difference between the two.

Could you please vs Would you please?

But I would suppose that “would” is more polite, because it expresses the idea of probability, and of willingness, and of the desire that something be done, whereas “could” is more in the realm of ability (yes I can). And according to the American Heritage Dictionary, “would” is used to make a polite request.

What is the difference in meaning between could?

However, there is a difference in their usage, as ' can ' is used in present situation, whereas we can use ' could ' for talking about a past ability . Both are followed by a base form of the verb. Now look at the example given below to understand their difference in a better way:

What is the difference between could and may?

"Can" simply means that the observation is possible. There is no reason for it to happen, but it is a possibility. In this context, it doesn't give any indication that the observation is likely to happen. "May" is more direct. It defines a possibility that is more likely to happen, as the observation could be actively made to happen.

What is the difference between could and might?

Could is a see also of might. As verbs the difference between could and might is that could is (can) while might is (auxiliary) used to indicate conditional or possible actions. As a noun might is (uncountable) power, strength, force or influence held by a person or group. As a adjective might is mighty; powerful; possible.