"Could" instead of "could have"

[Rachel Adams]

Hello.

These sentences are from "English Grammar in Use" by Raymond Murphy. I used "could" instead of "could have". Why is it wrong to use "could" in these examples?
1. "We managed to find the restaurant you recommended but we couldn't find it without the map that you drew for us."

2. "That was nice of you, but I couldn't come anyway. I was away all last week."

 

[Tarheel]

It isn't wrong to use "could" in those sentences.

 

[Tarheel]

A sentence can be grammatical without making sense.

 

[GoesStation]

Sentence two is okay. It would work equally well with "couldn't have".

 

[Tarheel]

Well, she didn't ask for a more natural way to say it, but if she had I would have suggested:

That map you drew for us was a big help in finding the restaurant.

 

[Rachel Adams]

That is not correct. "We couldn't find it without the map you drew for us" means that they were unable to find it.(because they were without the map you drew for them). This contradicts the first sentence, which tells us that they did find the restaurant.

So "could" have +another verb is used to talk about something that was possible but didn't happen. In this context it was possible that they wouldn't have found the restaurant without their friends' help. Am I right?

 

[kumar17]

Sentence two is okay. It would work equally well with "couldn't have".

What could be the possible statement to which this sentence(2)was used as a response? I think it could be like expressing regret or reason for not inviting someone. The word 'anyway' does convey that even if you had invited, I could not have come. Isn't the word 'have' necessary here? Because, he/she is responding to if something had happened in past.


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[emsr2d2]

I would use "couldn't have" in both sentences.

Without your map, we couldn't have found the restaurant.
I couldn't have come to your party anyway - I was away all week.

 

[Rachel Adams]

I would use "couldn't have" in both sentences.

Without your map, we couldn't have found the restaurant.
I couldn't have come to your party anyway - I was away all week.

But if "could have" with another verb is used to talk about something that was possible but didn't happen why is it used in that sentence?

 

[tzfujimino]

But if "could have" with another verb is used to talk about something that was possible but didn't happen why is it used in that sentence?

Without your map, we couldn't have found the restaurant.
= If we hadn't had your map, we couldn't have found the restaurant.
=As we had your map, we were able to find the restaurant.


I hope it helps.

 

[Tarheel]

But if "could have" with another verb is used to talk about something that was possible but didn't happen. Why is it used in that sentence?

She didn't use "could have". If you say something "could have" happened you are saying it didn't happen but it was possible for it to happen. She is saying it couldn't have happened but for something else. (I couldn't have found the place but for those directions.)

(Cross posted.)