tyrp
Member
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2011
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- Russian
- Home Country
- Ukraine
- Current Location
- Ukraine
Hello,
Modal verbs often cause trouble, and now I'm in a fix. Will there be any difference between the following sentences?
1. He can't have told you anything.
2. He couldn't have told you anything.
As I see it, the 1st sentence sounds more definite and categorical, more emotional than the second one, as 'can' generally is less doubtful than 'could'. Am I right? Will the 2nd sentence really sound less pressing and more polite or not?
And one more thing into the bargain. What form of the verb should be used in the case below?
He might have done his homework and not (a) left it for me / (b) leave it for me.
I guess the 1st variant (a) is more 'symmetrical' if you can say so about sentences, as the verbs are homogenuous: might have + past participle and not + past participle (an elliptical construction meaning: might have done smth and shouldn't have done smth else). But is the second variant definitely wrong? Is the construction 'natural' altogether?
Thanks in advance!!!
Modal verbs often cause trouble, and now I'm in a fix. Will there be any difference between the following sentences?
1. He can't have told you anything.
2. He couldn't have told you anything.
As I see it, the 1st sentence sounds more definite and categorical, more emotional than the second one, as 'can' generally is less doubtful than 'could'. Am I right? Will the 2nd sentence really sound less pressing and more polite or not?
And one more thing into the bargain. What form of the verb should be used in the case below?
He might have done his homework and not (a) left it for me / (b) leave it for me.
I guess the 1st variant (a) is more 'symmetrical' if you can say so about sentences, as the verbs are homogenuous: might have + past participle and not + past participle (an elliptical construction meaning: might have done smth and shouldn't have done smth else). But is the second variant definitely wrong? Is the construction 'natural' altogether?
Thanks in advance!!!