Difference between CAN and COULD

Category: English || Published on : 2020-08-06 16:30:29 || Author : TILS EDUCATION 1034

There are many usages and word sin English that have many similarities. When we use them, few differences can differentiate them. In such usage or words, there is one use of CAN and COULD which that generally beget many confusions. Here, in this article, we are going to learn those differences that help us in differentiating between them. Let’s see some differences between CAN and COULD: -
Ability – CAN or COULD
When it comes to express the ability, capability or capacity of something or someone then CAN refers to the present and upcoming or future. Let’s see some examples: -
• She can speak four languages fluently.
• His three-year-old son can dance very well with great moves.
• Her parents can’t stay in an isolated place for so long.
When it comes to express the ability, capability or capacity of past of something or someone then COULD is preferred. Could expresses the past of ‘can’. Let’s see some examples: -
• I could read hundreds of books in my young age.
• He could run for hours in his twenties.
• My mother could dance so gracefully when she was young.
Request – CAN or COULD
CAN is used to request in an informal manner. It doesn’t give a sense of being polite to something or someone. Let’s see some examples: -
• Can you drop me to the next station?
• Can you give me your book for an hour to read?
• Can you please close the door?
COULD is used to request in a very formal and polite manner. It gives the sense of modest request to something or someone. ‘Please’ can be added to make it more formal. Let’s see some examples: -
• Could you please drop me to the next station?
• Could you give me your book for an hour to read?
• Could you please close the door?
Possibility – CAN or COULD
CAN expresses something which is possible and it gives a sense of surety of the possibility for something or someone. Let’s see some examples: -
• My mother can be in the kitchen.
• Today weather can be stormy.
• Books can be on the table in the room.
COULD expresses for something which is or was possible in the past or at a specific time. It gives sometimes the sense of less surety of possibility. Let’s see some examples: -
• When you came home, mother could be in the kitchen.
• As per the weather news, tonight could be windy.
• As much I remember, cooks could be on the table in the room.

Seeking Permission – CAN or COULD
CAN is used to ask for the permission in an informal manner for something or someone. Let’s see some examples: -
• Can I borrow your bike for two days?
• Can I decide the color walls for my room?
• Can I take my own decision of life?
COULD is used to ask for the permission in a very formal manner for something or someone. Let’s see some examples: -
• Could I borrow your bike for two days please?
• Could I decide the color walls for my room?
• Could I take my own decision of life?

So, here we learn the differences between CAN and COULD that help us to differentiate between them and to make the right use of them in sentence framing.