[Grammar] see (that) happening with this plant

[emsr2d2]

Stick with "You can find it ...". Here, "You can" means "It is possible to". You're not talking about a hypothetical.

 

[Tarheel]

Yes, I meant that. Is it incorrect, because "could" is supposed to sound more polite?

I guess I'm going to go with what GoesStation said.

It's hard for me to get my arms around the politeness thing. It isn't that Americans aren't polite. It's just we generally don't have different words to express politeness.

I'll think about it some more.

 

[NAL123]

But I think sometimes while making suggestions, people do use "could", rather than "can", to sound polite:

A: I have nothing to wear to the party.

B: You could wear your red dress and your black shoes. (You could if you wanted to)

 

[NAL123]

OK. Thank you for your replies. One last question:

Does the "as" in "as you can see" or "as you can hear" sound like the "as" in: The town centre looks exactly as it did when it was built in 1877.

 

[emsr2d2]

But I think sometimes while making suggestions, people do use "could", rather than "can", to sound polite:

A: I have nothing to wear to the party.

B: You could wear your red dress and your black shoes. (You could if you wanted to)

Using "could" there doesn't make it polite. What word do you think someone who wanted to be impolite would use there?

 

[emsr2d2]

OK. Thank you for your replies. One last question:

Does the "as" in "as you can see" or "as you can hear" sound like the "as" in: The town centre looks exactly as it did when it was built in 1877.

In BrE, in my variant at least, no. In the "town centre" sentence, it sounds like "uhz" (sorry, I don't do phonetic symbols!)

 

[GoesStation]

Does the "as" in "as you can see" or "as you can hear" sound like the "as" in: The town centre looks exactly as it did when it was built in 1877.

I'd pronounce them the same.

 

[jutfrank]

Does the "as" in "as you can see" or "as you can hear" sound like the "as" in: The town centre looks exactly as it did when it was built in 1877.

Possibly. In its weakest form, as is pronounced with a schwa sound, whereas in its strong form it's pronounced with a much more open mouth.

 

[Tarheel]

But I think sometimes while making suggestions, people do use "could", rather than "can", to sound polite:

A: I have nothing to wear to the party.

B: You could wear your red dress and your black shoes. (You could if you wanted to)

I see it as a way of making a suggestion rather than being polite.

Alice: I have nothing to wear to the party.
Bob: You could wear your red dress.

 

[GoesStation]

"Could" is generally more polite than "can" when asking someone for something. This difference doesn't apply in other contexts.

 

[NAL123]

Using "could" there doesn't make it polite. What word do you think someone who wanted to be impolite would use there?

OK. So "You could wear your red dress and your black shoes" and "You can wear your red dress and your black shoes" both have equal strength, right?

 

[GoesStation]

OK. So "You could wear your red dress and your black shoes" and "You can wear your red dress and your black shoes" both have equal strength, right?

I don't know what you mean by "strength". Their meanings differ somewhat.

 

[Tarheel]

OK. So "You could wear your red dress and your black shoes" and "You can wear your red dress and your black shoes" both have equal strength, right?

You can use "can" as a word of encouragement. (You can do it!) But "could" is not used that way. There are many situations where one is appropriate and the other isn't.

I might use "could" to make a suggestion but not "can".

 

[NAL123]

You can use "can" as a word of encouragement. (You can do it!) But "could" is not used that way. There are many situations where one is appropriate and the other isn't.

I might use "could" to make a suggestion but not "can".

Started a new thread here: https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/...rist-Information-Centre?p=1656180#post1656180