sitifan
Senior Member
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2006
- Member Type
- Retired English Teacher
- Native Language
- Chinese
- Home Country
- Taiwan
- Current Location
- Taiwan
We do not use could to give or refuse permission.
--Could I ask you something?
--Yes, of course you can/*could.
(Practical English Usage by Michael Swan, Third Edition)
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--Could I see you tomorrow, then?
--Yes, (I think) you could.
(English Grammatical Structure by L. G. Alexander)
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In dialog #1, could is wrong. In dialog #2, could is right.
Why the difference?
--Could I ask you something?
--Yes, of course you can/*could.
(Practical English Usage by Michael Swan, Third Edition)
---------------------------------------------------------
--Could I see you tomorrow, then?
--Yes, (I think) you could.
(English Grammatical Structure by L. G. Alexander)
----------------------------------------------------------
In dialog #1, could is wrong. In dialog #2, could is right.
Why the difference?