I could go vs I could have gone

[alpacinou]

Hello to all,

Is there a difference between simple past and past modal in terms of meaning?

1-I could go hiking on the weekend but I didn't.

2-I could have gone hiking on the weekend but I didn't.

 

[jutfrank]

Of course. How could there possibly not be? :shock:

1 is wrong.
2 is the correct way. The sentence is about a past possibility.

 

[alpacinou]

We never use "could" for past possibility? Just past ability?

1-I could walk home but I took a cab.
2-I could have walked home but I took a cab.

Here the sentence is about ability. Are they different?

 

[jutfrank]

We never use "could" for past possibility? Just past ability?

1-I could walk home but I took a cab.
2-I could have walked home but I took a cab.

Here the sentence is about ability. Are they different?

Only sentence 2 is correct. It's about possibility, not ability.