How to Correctly Use Auxiliary Verb COULD Learn English Grammar
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Hi, everybody. My name is Alisha.
Today, I’m going to talk about how to use
the word “could” to express possibility
and a few other uses of this word too.
So, let’s get started.
Okay, the first use of “could” that I
want to mention is as the past tense of “can.”
So, “can” is the present tense word we
use to talk about ability, we use it for ability.
However, in the past tense “can” becomes
“could.”
That means we use the word, “could,” to
express past ability.
Let’s look at some example sentences.
First one, “When I was young I could speak
Spanish.”
So, a past tense situation, this is a past
ability.
“I could speak Spanish.”
“Three years ago, she could swim faster
than all the other students in her class.”
So, again a past tense situation, three years
ago here.
Okay, one more.
“Last week, I couldn’t use this software.
Now, I can.”
So, here, I’ve used the negative “couldn’t,”
could not.
“Last week, I couldn’t use this software.
Now, I can.”
So, I used “can” in the present tense
here.
So, that’s the first point that I want to
mention for today.
Using “could” as the past tense of the
word, “can.”
So, these all express past ability, a past
capability.
The second point I want to talk about for
today is using “could” for suggestions
and for advice.
Please keep in mind when you use “could,”
it’s not giving maybe a promise about that
activity.
You’re not making any promises about the activity.
The nuance of “could” or the meaning of
“could” is just possibility.
When you give a suggestion or when you give
advice, using the word, “could,” you’re
giving some information about possibility
only.
Something it is possible to do, an action
it is possible to take.
Let’s look at some examples then.
First, “We could go hiking this weekend.”
Here, I have “could.”
So, again, just a possibility.
“It’s possible to go hiking this weekend,”
“we could.”
So, this is a suggestion for a possible action.
Next, “I could cook something spicy for
dinner tonight.”
Again, possibility only.
“I could cook something spicy for dinner.”
It’s possible for me to make something spicy.
Third, “You could try talking to your landlord
about the problem.”
So, here, I have the word, “could.”
Again, it’s possible you could talk to your
landlord.
It’s possible, you could.
So, we can think of these two things as having
a very similar meaning.
Keep in mind, of course, because this is a
suggestion, if I suggest, for example, “I
could cook something for dinner tonight,”
the nuance is that maybe the speaker wants
to do that activity or recommends that activity
or that action.
But, the nuance once, again, is just that
it’s possible, just that it’s possible.
So, it’s a fairly soft recommendation.
Okay, so that’s point number two I want to
mention.
Before I go to point number three, I want
to mention two kinds of smaller points within
this.
First, when we use “could” in the positive
like I’ve used here, “She could swim,”
or, “We could go hiking,” for example,
this refers to something that is possible.
It is something that is possible to do.
In the negative form, however, like “could
not,” for example, in this sentence, “Last
week, I couldn’t use this software.”
When we use it in the negative form, it means
impossible, 0% chance.
Positive is just something possible.
There’s potential for an action to happen
or for a status, but, impossible is the negative
form.
It is totally impossible, zero chance of something.
So, with these points in mind, let’s look
at the next item I want to talk about.
Okay.
So, we can use “could” and “be,” the
verb, “to be,” for a status.
So, a situation like to talk about a person
or to talk about a thing.
So, again, this expresses a possibility.
We are making a guess.
So, in these cases, we don’t have all the
information about a situation but we are making
a guess, a guess about potential, a guess
about possibility.
For example, “This could be the right house.”
If you’ve seen the video we did about using
“must,” you’ll notice maybe I’ve used
a similar sentence here.
“This could be the right house,” and “This
must be the right house.”
They’re very similar sentences.
“Could” expresses only possibility, so
a lower level of certainty than “must.”
If I say, “This must be the right house,”
it means there’s a very high chance this is
the correct house.
Here, “could” shows only possibility,
so a lower level of chance, there’s not so
much certainty here.
Let’s look at another one.
“He couldn’t be my teacher.
I heard my teacher wears glasses.”
Here, I have the negative, “couldn’t,”
“He couldn’t be my teacher.”
That implies it is impossible.
So, “That person, that man, couldn’t be
my teacher because I heard my teacher wears
glasses.”
So, I have some other information that tells
me, “This person, this guy, he couldn’t
be my teacher.
It’s not possible for him to be my teacher.”
One more example.
“They could be asleep, maybe that’s why
they’re not answering the phone.”
So, here, I’ve used positive “could,”
“They could be asleep,” so I’m showing
only possibility here.
I’m giving a possible explanation for why
these people are not answering their phone.
“They could be asleep.”
It’s possible they are asleep.
Okay.
Now, let’s consider how to explain points
like this but in the past tense.
So, when we make the past tense, we use “have”
and the past participle of a verb.
So, for example, “She couldn’t have been
on the airplane.”
“She couldn’t,” again, impossible, “It
was impossible she was on the airplane.”
“She couldn’t have been on the airplane,”
maybe her first flight was delayed.
It’s impossible.
It was impossible for her to be on the airplane.
Another example, “This could have been finished
faster.”
I have the positive here showing it’s possible.
So, a project, for example, it’s possible
that this project, maybe, “could.”
It’s possible to have been finished faster
here.
So, again, the positive form shows only possibility
and here in the past, “could have been finished
faster.”
One more, “I could’ve.”
Here, I’ve used the contracted form.
So, “could” plus “have” become “could’ve.”
So, “I could’ve gotten up earlier.”
Maybe I got up at 10 o’clock but 8 o’clock
was possible in the past.
“I could have,” meaning maybe I didn’t
but it was possible in the past.
We can use “could’ve” to show that.
Okay.
The final point I want to make today is about
future situations.
Making guesses about future situations.
Just a couple of examples here.
Remember, the same positive and negative point
applies here as well.
So, in the first example, “I have your mom
could call while we’re out.”
“Your mom could,” and then I have a verb
after this, “call,” to call, make a phone
call.
So, “Your mom could call while we’re out,”
meaning, in the future, when we are out of
the house, it’s possible your mother may call.
This is the nuance of this expression.
So, I’m making a guess about a future situation
with the word, “could.”
“Your mother could call while we’re out.”
We can use it in another situation.
“He could send the file before the meeting.”
So, again, these are guesses, both cases,
your mom and this, he, person, these are guesses
about other people.
We’re making a guess about a future situation,
a future possible situation.
So, “He could send the files before the
meeting,” but we don’t know.
We’re making a guess about the future.
You can use “could” to express that as
well.
So, those are a few different points about
how to use the word “could.”
We can use it as the past tense of “can.”
We can use it to make suggestions and to give
advice.
We can use it to talk about a status, a possibility
around a status.
And, we can use it to talk about the past
situations, past possible situations.
And, finally, to make guesses about future
possible situations too.
So, this is a lot of information and it’s
very quick but I hope that it was useful for
you.
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