Timeline for how can I or how could I?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
14 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Jun 26, 2017 at 6:27 | history | reopened | user230 | ||
| Jun 24, 2017 at 21:16 | history | edited | J.R.♦ | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
deleted 75 characters in body
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| Nov 19, 2016 at 19:20 | history | closed |
P. E. Dant Reinstate Monica Nathan Tuggy M.A.R. Glorfindel♦ shin |
Duplicate of Difference between Can/Could: "Can (could) you sell your old computer to me?" | |
| Nov 19, 2016 at 17:12 | comment | added | Apollyon | That post is totally irrelevant. It's about the use of "could" in polite requests. How could my post be a possible duplicate of that? | |
| Nov 19, 2016 at 6:29 | answer | added | Chris Rogers | timeline score: 3 | |
| Nov 19, 2016 at 5:58 | answer | added | Hanaa | timeline score: 0 | |
| Nov 19, 2016 at 4:44 | history | edited | P. E. Dant Reinstate Monica | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
add source
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| Nov 19, 2016 at 4:41 | review | Close votes | |||
| Nov 19, 2016 at 19:20 | |||||
| Nov 19, 2016 at 4:24 | comment | added | P. E. Dant Reinstate Monica | The point is that without context, there is no way to answer your question. In one context, we would say "How can I concentrate with you breathing down my neck all the time?" In another context, we would say "How could I concentrate with you breathing down my neck all the time?" If we were talking about the present, we would use the former. If we were talking about the past or future, we might use the latter. Did you use the search field to look for other questions like yours? | |
| Nov 19, 2016 at 4:11 | comment | added | Apollyon | There's no context, as it is taken from a dictionary. | |
| Nov 19, 2016 at 3:18 | comment | added | Apollyon | I knew some of you would say "could" is the past tense of "can". But unfortunately, that's irrelevant to the question, even if it's a fact. "Could" seems to be the choice in a rhetorical question, e.g. "How could we possibly work together? You never trust me.". In this case, "could" has nothing to do with the past or irrealis mood. | |
| Nov 19, 2016 at 2:26 | comment | added | P. E. Dant Reinstate Monica | Thank you for your first question! We need more context to give you a useful answer, though. As Lawrence says, either can or could might be appropriate here. Please read our tour and Help Center pages, and also our Details, Please meta post. They will help you write a better question. | |
| Nov 19, 2016 at 2:21 | comment | added | Lawrence | What's the context? For example, if it's said in relation to past behaviour or a past situation, use could. If for present or continuing, use can. | |
| Nov 19, 2016 at 2:16 | history | asked | Apollyon | CC BY-SA 3.0 |