[Grammar] Could I use it? No, you couldn't use it

Status
Not open for further replies.

angelene001

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2012
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Polish
Home Country
Poland
Current Location
Poland
The way I know it is:
You cannot answer "Can/Could I use your pen?" with "Yes, you could/No, you could't".
That's according to "Grammarway 5" by Jenny Dooley and Virginia Evans (Express Publishing).

But I've just found information in "Destination C1&C2" (Macmillan) that:
For refusals, we can also use "couldn't" or "can't". "Couldn't" is more polite.
Could you give a presentation on climate change?
No, I couldn't/ can't give a presentation on climate change.


Is it really correct?
 

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland
Yes, it is.
 

Raymott

VIP Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2008
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
English
Home Country
Australia
Current Location
Australia
Grammarway 5 is also right.
"Could I use your pen?" and "Could you give a presentation?" are different contexts.
It would be perverse to answer "Could I use your pen?" with "Yes, you could". The person is obviously asking, using the polite variant, whether they can use it now. You say, "Yes you can".
On the other hand, if you said, "If my pencil breaks, could I use one of yours?" it's alright to answer, "Yes you could." This is a conditional 'could', whereas the other one is a polite 'can'.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top