Home » Could vs. Would – What’s the Difference? “Could ‘A’ be the answer? Glamor or Glamour – What’s the Difference? Since both will and would have so many different senses, it can be difficult to remember when to choose which one. can – will and could – would, usually go together in the same sentence or phrase). You can use either ‘could’ or ‘was/were able to’ with some stative verbs (see, hear, feel, taste) to discuss ability related to a single event or incident in the past. Case in Point or Case and Point – What’s the Difference? Keep in mind, the root words for ‘would’ and ‘could’ are ‘will’ (expresses definiteness) and ‘can’ (expresses possibility), respectively. (Example: She said she would deliver the flower by 5pm. Don’t say: I could surprise my teacher yesterday. Willingness in the past. Although these two verbs can be used interchangeably in some cases, there are some differences between the two. They could have been married if … Thank you. I started teaching English as a second language in 2005 after completing a Master's in Applied Linguists and a Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults' (CELTA). For example,Could you please close the door?Would you please close the door?Although both sentences are not incorrect, would indicates a willingness, possibility, and probability whereas could indicates ability. You could have gone to the park with your friends if you had finished your homework on time. The difference between can and could, are described in the points given below: ‘Can’ is a modal verb, which is used with the main verb to express the ability of … ). Let’s take the first of these two examples. We can see Noah in the book of Genesis – Peter said he would finish the work the next day. Here is a helpful trick to remember would vs. will. I could see the teacher well from my seat yesterday. Knowing when to use the terms correctly is an important part of mastering the English language. ( Polite Request ) Examples: Could you lend me this book? Could is a verb with many senses. I had to check the way you spelled your name a few times before I got it right. Answer: "Would have" is used together with a main verb. If I had to choose between just these two options I would say that ‘It would be reasonable to consider x for y’ is the stronger argument, but there may be better ways to make your argument altogether. Would is the past tense of will, which denotes both ability and certainty. I would buy a big house if I had a million dollars. Build vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and more with Transparent Language Online. I couldn't speak Spanish 6 years ago). In the present we use 'will' to talk about willingness (willingness means that … ‘Could’ implies that something can happen, there is nothing stopping, but whether it will happen or not is unsure. In high school, I would do my homework on the bus. The difference between should, could, and would is difficult for many English learners – this lesson will help you understand when to use each one!. Or we could go shopping.” Would for imagining results “If I were rich, I would buy a boat.” Click here for more examples of the difference between should, could, and would. I like to stay connected to ESL learners around the world through Transparent Languages ESL Blog. Summary: “Would” is the past tense form of the word “will” while “could” is the past tense form of the word “can.”. When somebody does something out of habit, it is denoted by “would” like; “He would go for a morning walk every day at 5:00 a.m. sharp.”. For example, you could say: would = definiteness + desire. Often ESL speakers misuse, or inappropriately interchange, the words ‘could’ and ‘would’. Anyway, I would like to thank you for posting this useful differences of the two words. The modal verb ‘ can’ expresses possibility in either a dynamic, deontic or epistemic sense, that is, in terms of innate ability, permissibility, or possible circumstance. –. Hi Gabriele If I were to take a vacation, it could be somewhere warm and tropical. Can I say, “I would like to do it, but I’ll be punished” ? One good example of this is the confusion about the usage and difference between could and can. As you can see, could is simply making a statement of ability. English is full of verbs that seem interchangeable or at least only trivially different, but skilled writers know when and how to use them for maximum clarity. In these examples, the speaker is using would to express a past action, which is helpful when comparing would vs. could. What is the difference between "would have" and "would have been"? Meaning and proper use of English words 'would', 'should' and 'could' have been discussed with example … But, when we use would, there is no question where the vacation will be. Although they seem similar, there are definite situations when one word is more appropriate than the other. If I were to take a vacation, it could be somewhere tropical, but it also could be somewhere cold—perhaps Colorado to go skiing. when making a polite request in the form of a question (Example: Could you help me? This won’t always get you to the right answer, but it should work most of the time. The main difference between used to and would is that used to can be used with both action verbs and stative verbswhereas would is only used with … –. Can you hand me the pen? It is also used for some conditional present and future tenses of can. the use of ‘would’ is making a request for the recipient to actually do something (not just answer: “yes, I am able to do it, but I am not going to do it”). It will be somewhere tropical. Could have been "Could have been" = could have + the verb BE. © 2021 Transparent Language, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Could and would are related, but they mean different things. Thank you for your questions. It's true these things haven't happened, but we can use other words and structures (e.g. A good way to remember the differences between these two words is simply to bring each word back to its root verb. More information about the context or situation you are using this in would be helpful to know what would be the best phrase to use. I hope this answer helps a little. Could is also the past tense of can. However, the two words carry other meanings too, in different contexts. Thanks you for this blog post, I now feel able to tackle the age-old question: “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” , It would be reasonable to consider x for y or These are truths in the past. 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