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Smee
Joined: 27 Feb 2003
Posts: 33
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 Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2003 1:05 am Post subject: About the modal "could" |
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I�m learning about modals and my teacher said that "could" is not good for expressing plans and results in the past. She told me that in good English we would say "managed to" or "was/were able to".
Therefore: Is it wrong to say "I could graduated last semester?" ?
Thanks all of you. |
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pugachevV
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 2295
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| Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2003 6:03 am Post subject: Could |
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"I could graduated last semester?" ? is not correct.
If you mean you were ready to graduate last semester but something (perhaps illness) prevented it, you could say, " I could have graduated last semester but I got sick and did not take the exam." |
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Corey
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Posts: 445
Location: Costa Rica
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| Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2003 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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Your teacher was right. COULD for plans is like MAYBE. If you are making plans you could say "Well, we COULD go to the beach, and then to a movie".
But if the plan is definite then do not use COULD.
Take care,
Corey
[url]english.abcingles.net[/url]
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