couldn't ...yet

[ademoglu]

Hi,

Can we use 'yet' with 'could' instead of 'have been able to'? For example,

1- We have not been able to work it out yet.
2- We could not work it out yet.

Is the second one OK?

Thanks.

 

[emsr2d2]

There is a word missing from sentence 1. Can you see what it is?

 

[GoesStation]

Hi,

Can we use 'yet' with 'could' instead of 'have been able to'? For example,

1- We have not able to work it out yet.
2- We could not work it out yet.

Is the second one OK?

Thanks.

Yes, we can. Can and its inflections are synonyms for to be able to and its inflections.

 

[Boris Tatarenko]

Yes, we can. Can and its inflections is a synonym for to be able to and its inflections.

Can we say "can and its inflections are synonyms for "to be able to" and its inflections"?

 

[ademoglu]

There is a word missing from sentence 1. Can you see what it is?

I forgot to put 'been.'

Thanks for it. :up:

 

[GoesStation]

Can we say "can and its inflections are synonyms for "to be able to" and its inflections"?

Yes. In fact, that's what I should have written. I added and its inflections and failed to change the verb.

 

[Barb_D]

I am usually in agreement with Goes but not this time. I don't find "yet" appropriate for "could."

 

[emsr2d2]

Like Barb, I find that combination unnatural.

We hadn't found it yet.
We haven't found it yet.
We hadn't yet been able to find it.

We can't find it at the moment.
We couldn't find it at that time.

 

[Boris Tatarenko]

Are you basically saying "I can't find it yet" and "I couldn't find it yet" do not sound natural to you?
What about "we couldn't have found it yet"?

 

[GoesStation]

I'm not sure what I was thinking.

 

[ademoglu]

Is it impossible to use 'yet' with 'can' or 'could'? I'm asking because I've found some sentences:

1- Officials say they can't be sure yet whether the terror plans have been shelved. (The source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/01/AR2010110105844.html)

2- They’ll transform our domestic airspace, too, in ways that we can’t yet predict. (The source: http://time.com/3796366/everyday-drones-photographs-by-gregg-segal/)

3- Skiing off the side of a mountain at the age of nine. It was the first time I'd seen a mountain up close and I couldn't yet ski. (The source: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/jul/29/sally-hawkins-interview)

4- Oscar and Edith had everything ready, and I couldn’t tell him about Friese yet. (The source: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/08/the-second-coming-of-gray-badger/306898/)

 

[Barb_D]

I am perplexed that I have no idea why "I was only nine and couldn't X yet" works but "we couldn't reach a decision yet" or "I couldn't find it yet" does not.

Thoughts on why this is so?