(kăn; kən when unstressed)
aux.v. Past tense
could could (ko͝od) a. Used to indicate physical or mental ability: I can carry both suitcases. Can you remember the war?
b. Used to indicate possession of a specified power, right, or privilege: The President can veto congressional bills.
c. Used to indicate possession of a specified capability or skill: I can tune the harpsichord as well as play it.
a. Used to indicate possibility or probability: I wonder if my long lost neighbor can still be alive. Such things can and do happen.
b. Used to indicate that which is permitted, as by conscience or feelings: One can hardly blame you for being upset.
c. Used to indicate probability or possibility under the specified circumstances: They can hardly have intended to do that.
- Usage Problem Used to request or grant permission: Can I be excused?
Usage Note: Generations of grammarians and teachers have insisted that
can should be used only to express the capacity to do something, and that
may must be used to express permission. But children do not use
can to ask permission out of a desire to be stubbornly perverse. They have learned it as an idiomatic expression from adults:
After you clean your room, you can go outside and play. As part of the spoken language, this use of
can is perfectly acceptable. This is especially true for negative questions, such as
Can't I have the car tonight? probably because using
mayn't instead of
can't sounds unnatural. Nevertheless, in more formal usage the distinction between
can and
may still has many adherents. Only 21 percent of the Usage Panel accepts
can instead of
may in the sentence
Can I take another week to submit the application? The heightened formality of
may sometimes highlights the speaker's role in giving permission.
You may leave the room when you are finished implies that permission is given by the speaker.
You can leave the room when you are finished implies that permission is part of a rule or policy rather than a decision on the speaker's part. For this reason,
may sees considerable use in official announcements:
Students may pick up the application forms tomorrow.