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Latest post Wed, Feb 7 2007 1:17 PM by Marius Hancu. 5 replies.
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Anonymous  +  325257 Tue, 06 Feb 07 07:08 PM

Can you help me for the following please?

Kim: Excuse me, I missed the meeting yesterday.

Allen : Yes, but you ---------- a taxi.

 

a) could take          b) could have taken

Is a) wrong in this sentence? Can we use "could" for past abilities. (for example: " you could do that if you wanted to....")
Anonymous
nona the brit  +  325276 Tue, 06 Feb 07 07:55 PM
No, could on its own relates to future possibilities. Both of your examples need 'could have' to place them in the past.
nona the brit
Joined on Wed, Sep 22 2004
England
Veteran Member 11,713
The name says it all.
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Inchoateknowledge  +  325280 Tue, 06 Feb 07 08:14 PM
 Anonymous wrote:

Can you help me for the following please?

Kim: Excuse me, I missed the meeting yesterday.

Allen : Yes, but you ---------- a taxi.

 

a) could take          b) could have taken

Is a) wrong in this sentence? Can we use "could" for past abilities. (for example: " you could do that if you wanted to....")

a. means you had the chance to hail a taxi. It does not fit in here because conveys no resentment
Inchoateknowledge
Joined on Wed, May 3 2006
Senior Member 2,549
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Anonymous, 2 yr 291 days ago

"Could" is the past form of the modal verb can. Modal verbs convey "mood" or idea. Unlike other verbs modals do not have continuous or perfect aspect (He is coulding / He has coulden).  In the sentence "Yes, but you could have taken a taxi." could conveys the meaning of possibility (it was possible for you to catch a taxi and, therefore, attend the meeting). The main verb is "take"

"could have taken" is the present perfect simple form of the verb phrase (modal + present perfect). Present Perfect forms are used to talk about past and present time simultaneously and is the correct form to use here because Allen is mildly, and indirectly, admonishing Kim in the present for an act, or failure to act, in the past.

"Could" can have future meaning (It could rain tomorrow) but its function here is to convey possibility/probability; the idea of future is carried by "tomorrow". It is often used to talk about past ability (When I was young I could run very fast).

nona the brit  +  325517 Wed, 07 Feb 07 10:41 AM

Ok, I should have said that in this context, 'could' on its own can only relate to future possiblilies. It can't be used to refer to past ones.

Strange answer though altogether as she doesn't say why she missed the meeting - perhaps she was ill!
nona the brit
Marius Hancu  +  325551 Wed, 07 Feb 07 01:17 PM
 Nona The Brit wrote:
<>Ok, I should have said that in this context, 'could' on its own can only relate to future possiblilies. It can't be used to refer to past ones.

I agree.
Marius Hancu
Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006
Veteran Member 11,673
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