| Hi everybody, my name is Alisha. In this lesson, I'm going to talk about how to use "could" in the past, present, and future. Let's get started. |
| Okay. First, I want to talk about using could in the past. For each of the parts of today's lesson, I'm going to talk about statements and I'm going to talk about positive and negative statements. |
| Let's begin with the past use of could and positive statements. There are two things that we do with could in the past. First, we use could to express a possible past action that is unreal. Could expresses a possible past action that is unreal. That means something that was possible in the past. On a timeline, if we imagine this point is now and here is the past, we want to express something that was possible in the past, however, it did not actually happen. We just want to imagine the possibility in the past. We do this with could. |
| Second, could in the past expresses past ability. We do this, again, we can imagine it like this on the timeline. We do this when we want to talk about something we were able to do in the past, like a skill, for example. In positive statements, could is used in one of these two ways. |
| Let's look at how we make statements like these. First, we use number one to express a possible past action that is unreal, that did not happen. We do subject, so I or you or we, for example, plus could have plus the past participle form of a verb. I'll show you some examples in just a moment. |
| Let's compare this to use number two. To express a past ability, we use a past tense introduction plus could plus the infinitive form of a verb. The infinitive form of a verb is like the dictionary form. You might see two plus verb in the dictionary. The infinitive form is just that base form of the verb without two. I've also put here past tense introduction. We often use a past tense introduction to express our past ability. Sometimes, however, you may see this at the end of the sentence. |
| With this information, let's look at some examples of past positive statements over here. |
| First, "I could have passed the test." For example, "I could have passed the test if I had studied more." Here "could have passed" is the key part of the sentence. It follows this pattern. I, subject, "could have passed" is the past participle form of the verb pass. "I could have passed the test." This means the speaker did not pass the test, so they're expressing some regret. |
| The next example sentence. "We could have bought popcorn." This expresses a past possible action that is unreal. This expresses they did not buy popcorn. Again, we see the same grammar pattern. "We could have bought." |
| Subject could have past participle verb. Bought is the past participle form of the verb to buy. Okay, then let's compare this to this example. He could play the violin when he was a kid. This one follows a pattern similar to this. Remember when I said past tense introduction is used? Oftentimes we put this at the end of the sentence, I said. You can put it in either place. I could say here, when he was a kid, he could play the violin. |
| The key part here, of course, this grammar is different from this grammar, but the key part is that there's some kind of past tense information that gives the listener or the reader a hint, like this is a past ability. Here we have a past tense verb was, was. He could play. Play is the infinitive form of the verb play. He could play the violin when he was a kid. Look for that simple past tense introduction or conclusion in some cases too. This is how we use could in the past for positives. |
| Let's talk now about negatives. What do we do with could in negative statements in the past? First, could can express an impossible past situation, an impossible past situation. On our timeline, we want to talk about something in the path that was not possible. Not possible. Second, we can use it to express lack of past ability, something we were not able to do in the past. This is kind of the opposite of the positive forms. Let's look at how we make these patterns. First, subject could not have past participle verb. This is just like this one. The difference is we use not here, could not have. Second, to express a lack of past ability, past tense introduction plus could not and the infinitive form of a verb. Again, we can use this past tense part at the end of the sentence, a past tense conclusion. The key is that usually this kind of sentence, this kind of statement is used together with a simple past tense statement to show we're talking about past ability. |
| Let's look at some examples of negative statements. First, she couldn't have taken my keys. I have them. What's happening here? First, I've used couldn't have taken. This grammar matches this grammar right here. I've reduced could and not into couldn't. She couldn't have taken my keys. Here I'm expressing an impossible past situation. It is not possible she took my keys. That's what I want to express here. Why? Because I have them. It's common to express the reason that we feel this way. I have them. This is my evidence. This is how I know. It's not possible for her to have taken my keys. |
| Let's look at the second one. They couldn't have been at the park. I just saw them at the office. Again, we're seeing this could not have plus past participle verb. In this case, the verb is be. They couldn't have been at the park. In other words, it was impossible that they were in the park or that they were at the park a moment ago. Why do I think that? Because I just saw them at the office. This indicates or this implies the speaker very recently saw a group of people at the office. Therefore, or for that reason, it's impossible they were at the park. This is what we use, a negative statement with could in the past to express, this past impossibility. |
| Then one more about past ability or no past ability. I couldn't speak Spanish until I was 15. Again, I've reduced could not to couldn't and I follow it with the infinitive form of the verb. I could not speak. Here you'll notice I've used this until I was 15. Again, we're talking about some past point in this case. From the period up until the speaker was 15, Spanish was not possible or the person could not speak Spanish. They're using 15, the age of 15, as their past tense kind of marker or the past point in time. Again, we have a good hint with this past tense was here. I couldn't speak Spanish until I was 15. This expresses lack of past ability. |
| Okay, finally, many people told me it couldn't be done. Here, again, I'm using couldn't and the infinitive form of the verb, in this case, be. It couldn't be done. Past tense hint is right here. Many people told me it couldn't be done. Something that was not possible. In this case, the speaker is reporting something. Many people told me that was impossible. They're talking about something they achieved, something they accomplished that other people told them, you can't do that or it can't be done. We want to report on that, so we use this past form. Many people told me it couldn't be done. |
| Okay, so with this information about past, I want to do one quick pronunciation point and then we'll move on to present and future. First, could have, I want to mention could have and how we reduce these two words together. Could have reduces to could've, could've. This reduces even further to a sound like coulda, coulda. In our example sentences, I said, I could have passed the test. At native speed, this sounds like, I could have passed the test, I could have passed the test or we could have bought popcorn or he could play the violin when he was a kid. Note, could and play didn't get reduced there. The reason is there's no have here. Please note, when you're not using that helping verb have, this reduction does not happen. Could have, could have, we reduce. No could have, no reduction there. |
| Could have takes this could've or coulda reduction in regular speech. Let's compare this to could not have. Could not have reduces to couldn't have, which reduces to couldna. This end sound can sometimes be a little tricky, a little bit difficult to hear in speech even for native speakers. It's perfectly okay to ask for someone to repeat what they've just said if you didn't catch it. Native speakers do that all the time, so please don't be worried if you can't catch this little end sound. What does this sound like? She couldn't have taken my keys, this part. She couldn't have taken my keys at everyday speed or they couldn't have been at the park. That's how it sounds in everyday speech. |
| Again, with no have, there is no reduction. I couldn't speak Spanish. We only reduce this part. Could not, so could not gets reduced. That's okay, but we do not reduce it again with the next verb unless it's that have verb. Okay, great. |
| Let's continue to the next part then, present and future, using could with the present and the future. First, let's look at positive statements. We have two uses for positive statements. The first, could expresses possible present states. You can use it to express a possible present state. Again, on our timeline, if we imagine this point is now, we can use could to talk about something, a state or a condition that is possible now. Second, could expresses possible future action, like when we make a suggestion. You're giving someone advice, for example, or you're giving someone a suggestion for a future action. I've marked this with a question. We'll talk about this in just a moment. |
| How do we make this? First, we use subject could be something. This expresses our condition, our possible present state. We'll look at some examples in a moment. Second, let's compare. Subject could infinitive verb. When we use this second pattern, we're generally making a suggestion or we're giving some advice. Yes, be is the infinitive form of the verb to be, but I've noted infinitive verb here because we generally use this to give some advice, like some kind of action. We could use be in this pattern as well, technically. I just wanted to make sure you always use this form of the verb and not... Sometimes I see people use be before the infinitive form of the verb there, so I want to make sure that the differences are a little bit more clear. |
| Then let's continue on to the negative form. What do we do with the negative here? The negative expresses an impossible state. Now something that is not true or something that is not possible. We can also use, as I have in this note, can't. Can't can be used for impossible future actions, and we can also use it for impossible present states. You might hear this pattern with can't, I'll talk about in a moment. We also use it to describe things we are unable to do in the future. Can't and could, they do have some overlap. We can use them in the same situations in some cases. The difference is really formality. |
| Let's look at this sample pattern. Subject could not be something. Again, we have this be as I have in the positive form. This is expressing an impossible present state. Again, we can use can't to do this too. Let's look at some examples with this information. First one, this could be the right place. What's happening here? This is a sentence that we say when we are looking for something or we are looking for a location we have never been to before. It's common to be looking at your smartphone or maybe a map, and when you arrive at the correct place or you think it's the correct place, you can say, this could be the right place. This is expressing a possible present state or a possible present condition. The present condition that is possible is that this could possibly be the right location. This could possibly be the correct place. We use this sentence to express that idea. This could be the right place. |
| Here then, let's compare. We could go to the beach later. This one is a suggestion. Why? Because this infinitive verb is not be. We're not using be here. This is a suggestion. We could go to the beach later. It's not a question, no, but this is a very soft suggestion. We're giving someone an idea with a sentence like this. We could go to the beach later. What do you think? This is a very common way to do that. |
| Then, I want to end with these two. I've used can't here, but we can also use could, as I said. I've used can't because it sounds a little more common in everyday conversation, but we'll practice using could too. First, I can't come to your party. I've said that we use can't for impossible future actions. I've included this here because this is a very common mistake that I hear from learners. It's because when we think about using could for the future, we imagine we can use it in the same way as can't. Unfortunately, that's not true. This sentence, sometimes I hear, I could not come to your party. This is incorrect. That means past. In the past, I was not able to come to your party. We cannot use could to talk about future impossible actions. We can use only can't to do that. I cannot come to your party in the future. Please be careful of this point. |
| With this example sentence, however, we can use either. This can't be right. Here we can use either can't or could or rather cannot and could not. I'll include this here, couldn't. This couldn't be right or this can't be right. This follows this pattern. When you want to express an impossible present state, you can use either can't or could. Right means correct. You're looking at some information and you think, this is not correct. This is not right. That's impossible. You can express that with this can't be right or this couldn't be right. What's the difference? Couldn't sounds a little bit more formal here. This is how we use can't and couldn't to talk about impossible present states and impossible future actions. |
| Finally, last point for this lesson is a quick pronunciation point. I talked about how we reduce these sounds, but here could and couldn't are not so hard to remember, I don't think. Could doesn't really change in these patterns. You just might hear it get kind of closely, you might hear it get used together very quickly with the verb that follows. This could be the right place or we could go to the beach later, so it gets kind of pushed together with the following verb, but there's no like rule for reduction there. Couldn't, however, follows the same rule I talked about up here. Could not becomes couldn't. So this couldn't be right. So again, this part follows the same reduction rules I talked about earlier. |
| So this is an introduction to how to use could in the past, the present, and the future. It's very important to practice using could in these ways so that you can express with a lot of depth issues like regret or to express that something is not possible or to express that something will not be possible in the future. |
| So I hope that this was helpful for you. |
| Of course, if you have any questions or comments or if you want to practice making some example sentences with this grammar, please feel free to do so in the comment section of this video. |
| Check us out at EnglishClass101.com for some other lessons, and I will see you again soon. |
| Bye. |
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