Could or was able...

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Metamorfose
Posts: 345
Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2003 2:21 pm
Location: Brazil

Could or was able...

Post by Metamorfose » Tue Aug 09, 2005 2:59 am

I found this in a grammar book

Nobody could come yesterday.
(could=was able to)


Normally one doesn't use could for single events in the past when a sentence is positive, in this case, is could there because of the 'nobody' and it would give a negative meaning?

José

PS: could=was able is in the book.
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metal56
Posts: 3032
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 4:30 am

Re: Could or was able...

Post by metal56 » Tue Aug 09, 2005 3:42 pm

Metamorfose wrote:I found this in a grammar book

Nobody could come yesterday.
(could=was able to)


Normally one doesn't use could for single events in the past when a sentence is positive, in this case, is could there because of the 'nobody' and it would give a negative meaning?

José

PS: could=was able is in the book.
Yes.

Alt:

It was not possible for anyone to come.
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