Learn English Grammar: How to use the auxiliary verb 'COULD'
Learn English Grammar: How to use the auxiliary verb 'COULD'
In this grammar lesson, you will learn about the many uses of the auxiliary verb “could” in English. I will teach you how to use it correctly when speaking about the past, the conditional, and even when making polite requests for the future. For example, do we say “Can you tell me” or “Could you tell me”? What about “I could have been” or “I could of been”? I will give you many examples of how it can be used in different contexts. Even native English speakers use “could” incorrectly, so watch this video to avoid making common mistakes! Next, take the quiz: https://www.engvid.com/auxiliary-verb…
Watch my lesson how to use the auxiliary verb ‘WOULD’: • Learn English Grammar: How to use the…
TRANSCRIPT
Hello. I’m Gill at www.engvid.com, and today we have a lesson on an auxiliary modal verb: “could”, the use of “could”. So, there are two ways… Well, we have five ways that it’s used here, but “could” comes either from as the past tense of the verb “can”, which is also an auxiliary modal verb, “can”: “could” in the past; or it’s used as an auxiliary verb with other verbs combined. So, sorry that sounds very complicated, but I hope it comes clearer with the sentences to illustrate how it can be used. Okay.
So, first of all, just to show the simple past tense of “can”, if I can do something: I can do something today, yesterday I could do it as well; or I couldn’t do it yesterday, you could use the negative as well. So, first sentence, then: “At one time”-in the past-”I could run a mile and not get out of breath”. So, to get out of breath is when you’ve been running a lot, and then you can’t… You’re breathing very quickly and you have to wait for your body to get back to normal. And if you’re running, also, it might be painful and you have to stop, so that’s getting out of breath. Okay? So: “At one time in the past I could run a mile.” I can’t say now in the present I can run a mile, because I can’t, okay? But in the past, at one time, I could run a mile and not get out of breath. Okay, so that’s just the past tense of “can”.
But then the other four examples are where it’s used as an auxiliary modal verb with different ways of using it. So we have four different ways of using it, here. First of all, number two is a polite request. So, instead of: “Can I…?” you say: “Could I…? Could I borrow your pen, please, just for a moment? Could I borrow your pen, please?” If you say: “Can I…?” it’s okay, but it’s not quite as polite. So if you really want the person to say: “Yes, of course”, if you’re polite they are more likely to let you borrow their pen. So: “Could. Could I please?” So we’ve got: “Could I” and we also have “please” at the end. Or you could put: “Please” near the beginning: “Please. Please could I…? Could I please…?” Any order. “Can I borrow your pen, please, just for a moment?” So that’s a polite request. Okay.
And then the third sentence is when you’re saying that something is possible. You’re telling somebody something is possible if… If they do something, so this is called a conditional. Okay. And that… We have lots of video lessons on conditionals, so do have a look for those. So, here is an example: “You could get good marks in the exam if you study every day.” So, the conditional: “Could” often uses “if”, because you have a choice. Are you going to study every day and get good marks in the exam, or are you going to maybe study once or twice a week and then you get to the exam and you don’t do so well, or what’s your choice? So this is your teacher, your tutor might tell you: “You could get good marks in the exam if you study every day”, if you work hard regularly every day. So that’s a possibility, a conditional. Right.
So, then number four, this is a polite way of maybe giving a criticism or suggesting something isn’t right, there’s a mistake, or something may have gone wrong. If you say: “I could be wrong, but… I could be wrong, but I think there’s a mistake (an error) in these figures.” So if you’re looking at some accounts, and the figures in columns and they’re supposed to add up accurately, and you look at it and you think: “This doesn’t look right.” If you’re an accounting genius, you can maybe see immediately something isn’t right; the figures don’t balance or something. So… But you don’t want to say: “Oh, that’s wrong. That’s not right.” You don’t want to be so direct, so you’re very careful that when you begin your sentence: “I could be wrong, but I think…” So you’re not saying: “I know. I can see there’s a mistake there.” You wouldn’t say that. “I think there’s a mistake (an error) in these figures”, so it’s a polite way of suggesting there could be a mistake. “I could be wrong, but…” Okay. Useful phrase.
And then, finally, in this first half of the lesson, when somebody is saying they could have done something or they could have been something, a profession: “I could have been a ballet dancer, but something happened to stop me.” […]
Content
0.243 -> Hello. I'm Gill at www.engvid.com, and today
we have a lesson on an auxiliary modal verb:
11.71 -> "could", the use of "could". So, there are two
ways... Well, we have five ways that it's
21.28 -> used here, but "could" comes either from as
the past tense of the verb "can", which is
30.539 -> also an auxiliary modal verb, "can": "could"
in the past; or it's used as an auxiliary
40.07 -> verb with other verbs combined. So, sorry
that sounds very complicated, but I hope it
48.03 -> comes clearer with the sentences to
illustrate how it can be used. Okay.
55.27 -> So, first of all, just to show the simple
past tense of "can", if I can do something:
62.71 -> I can do something today, yesterday I could
do it as well; or I couldn't do it yesterday,
71.27 -> you could use the negative as well. So, first
sentence, then: "At one time"-in the past-"I
81.24 -> could run a mile and not get out of breath".
So, to get out of breath is when you've been
94.02 -> running a lot, and then you can't... You're
breathing very quickly and you have to wait
101.469 -> for your body to get back to normal. And if
you're running, also, it might be painful
108.46 -> and you have to stop, so that's getting out
of breath. Okay? So: "At one time in the past
116.689 -> I could run a mile." I can't say now in the
present I can run a mile, because I can't,
124.679 -> okay? But in the past, at one time, I could
run a mile and not get out of breath. Okay,
134.11 -> so that's just the
past tense of "can".
137.98 -> But then the other four examples are where
it's used as an auxiliary modal verb with
147.05 -> different ways of using it. So we have four
different ways of using it, here. First of
154.11 -> all, number two is a polite request. So, instead
of: "Can I...?" you say: "Could I...? Could
164.04 -> I borrow your pen, please, just for a moment?
Could I borrow your pen, please?" If you say:
171.51 -> "Can I...?" it's okay, but it's not quite
as polite. So if you really want the person
179.7 -> to say: "Yes, of course", if you're polite
they are more likely to let you borrow their
187.4 -> pen. So: "Could. Could I please?" So we've
got: "Could I" and we also have "please" at
194.08 -> the end. Or you could put: "Please" near the
beginning: "Please. Please could I...? Could
202.04 -> I please...?" Any order. "Can I borrow your
pen, please, just for a moment?" So that's
209.94 -> a polite request. Okay.
214.1 -> And then the third sentence is when you're
saying that something is possible. You're
223.061 -> telling somebody something is possible if...
If they do something, so this is called a
231.38 -> conditional. Okay. And that... We have lots
of video lessons on conditionals, so do have
245.63 -> a look for those. So, here is an example:
"You could get good marks in the exam if you
257.06 -> study every day." So, the conditional: "Could"
often uses "if", because you have a choice.
267.139 -> Are you going to study every day and get good
marks in the exam, or are you going to maybe
274.259 -> study once or twice a week and then you get to
the exam and you don't do so well, or what's
284.069 -> your choice? So this is your teacher, your
tutor might tell you: "You could get good
290.979 -> marks in the exam if you study every day", if
you work hard regularly every day. So that's
302.11 -> a possibility, a conditional.
Right.
306.139 -> So, then number four, this is a polite way
of maybe giving a criticism or suggesting
316.439 -> something isn't right, there's a mistake, or
something may have gone wrong. If you say:
324.31 -> "I could be wrong, but... I could be wrong,
but I think there's a mistake (an error) in
336.319 -> these figures." So if you're looking at some
accounts, and the figures in columns and they're
342.949 -> supposed to add up accurately, and you look at
it and you think: "This doesn't look right."
351.789 -> If you're an accounting genius, you can maybe
see immediately something isn't right; the
359.559 -> figures don't balance or something. So... But
you don't want to say: "Oh, that's wrong.
366.009 -> That's not right." You don't want to be so
direct, so you're very careful that when you
374.009 -> begin your sentence: "I could be wrong, but
I think..." So you're not saying: "I know.
382.479 -> I can see there's a mistake there." You wouldn't
say that. "I think there's a mistake (an error)
392.319 -> in these figures", so it's a polite way of
suggesting there could be a mistake. "I could
400.71 -> be wrong, but..." Okay.
Useful phrase.
406.729 -> And then, finally, in this first half of the
lesson, when somebody is saying they could
415.22 -> have done something or they could have been
something, a profession: "I could have been
422.999 -> a ballet dancer, but something happened to
stop me." A lot of people say: "I could have
430.999 -> done this, I could have done that", and then
you think: "Well, why...? Why didn't you?"
437.46 -> Maybe the circumstances weren't right, maybe
you needed money for it which you didn't have,
446.139 -> so there are lots of reasons why people don't
do what they could have done; if they'd had
452.809 -> the money, if they'd been in the right place
at the right time with the right people, etc.
460.06 -> So: "I could have been", that's a kind of
conditional, but it's a conditional where
469.749 -> it's already in the past and it's too late
now, you can't go back and change it. So:
477.289 -> "I could have been a ballet dancer,
but it didn't happen." So...
483.639 -> And that one reminded me of a famous scene
in a film, the actor Marlon Brando, you may
490.789 -> know this one, called On the Waterfront, and
he's sitting in the back of a car with I think
499.449 -> his brother, and he's saying what... He could
have been somebody. He could have really done
507.199 -> something with his life, and now he's upset,
he thinks it's too late, something's gone
513.32 -> wrong, so he says: "I could have been a contender"
meaning someone who really gets out there
521.21 -> and does something, a contender. "I could
have been somebody", rather than nobody. He
529.901 -> feels he's nobody. "I could have been somebody."
So that's a famous example of: "could have
538.63 -> been" in a film.
542.33 -> And then to end this half of the lesson, the
different forms for "could have", that's the
549.93 -> full form with no abbreviation, you can have
it abbreviated, contracted with "could've",
558.67 -> "I could've", so "could", apostrophe, "ve".
So the apostrophe shows the missing letters
567.52 -> "ha". "Could have", so you say: "Could've",
"could've", just a "ve" sound at the end.
576.32 -> "Could've" instead of "could have". "I could've".
Okay. And then sometimes, because the way
585.88 -> people speak, they sometimes say: "I coulda".
"I coulda done that. I coulda done that",
592.44 -> instead of "could've". "I coulda", if they're
speaking quickly, meaning: "I could have done
599.96 -> that. I coulda". You may sometimes see this
written down if someone's written down what
608.08 -> somebody said, and it sounded like "coulda",
you might see that in writing, but usually
615.71 -> you will hear it when
people are speaking.
620.34 -> And because of this one, unfortunately, there's
a terrible mistake that people put when they're
628.08 -> writing, and they put: "could of", which is
completely wrong. Okay? So please don't write
638.07 -> "could of". It should be: "could have". So:
"could of" makes no sense. The word "of" has
648.82 -> nothing to do with what this is saying, so
please don't put: "could of", that's completely
659.11 -> wrong, so be careful because also people say
it like that: "I could of", "I could of",
666.55 -> so it's "could've" here turning into "could
of" there, and they even say... People even
673.69 -> say it like an "of". "Could of", and they
write it that way, too, "could of", and it's
680.72 -> completely wrong, so please avoid that if you
can. Right, so we'll just move on to the
687.83 -> second part of the lesson where I
have a little test for you. Okay.
692.98 -> Okay, so here's the test for you to use the
word "could" in four different sentences.
702.97 -> So, let's look at the first one. So, another
way of saying it is: "I used to be able to
712.97 -> swim underwater for a full minute." So if
you're in the swimming pool, you go under
722.08 -> the water, below the surface, and you can
swim around under water, holding your breath
731.02 -> for a full minute. Okay? So: "I used to be"-meaning
at one time-"I was able to"-able to-"swim
745.1 -> under water for a full minute". So, can you
say that in a similar way, starting: "At one
752.55 -> time", and then use the word "could"? "At
one time", okay. So it's about I, so: "At
766.83 -> one time I..." So: "At one time I could",
and then it goes on. "At one time I could
784.57 -> swim under water for a full minute." Okay. "Full
minute" means a whole minute, 60 seconds,
795.91 -> a complete minute. "At one time I could swim
under water for a full minute." Okay. Right,
805.33 -> so that's using "can", "could" as the past
tense. "I could at one time", okay. Right.
816.43 -> Next one. If you ask someone to speak more
slowly, what would you say? If you're asking
825.09 -> someone to speak more slowly, politely asking
them: "Speak more slowly", so you say: "Please...
837.16 -> Please", so the word we want to use is "could",
so: "Please could", "Please could", and then
853.86 -> we're speaking to another person, so we need
the word for the other person. "Please could
859.82 -> you", okay? So: "Please could you speak more
slowly?" Okay? Right. So that's a polite request,
878.62 -> isn't it? You're being polite to the person.
They're speaking too quickly, you're asking
884.11 -> them: "Please, could you speak
more slowly?" All right.
890.09 -> Next one, you want to tell somebody, someone
they are capable, they are able, they have
900.89 -> the possibility of writing a book. They know
so much about a subject that you say: "You
911.45 -> know so much about that subject, you are capable,
you are able, you would be able to write a
920.34 -> book on that subject because you know so much and
you're so interested in it." So it's encouraging
928.28 -> them to go ahead, write a book. So what do
you say to tell them that they're capable
935.23 -> of writing a book? Using the word "could":
"You..." So: "You could... You could write",
956.92 -> not "writing" this time, but: "You could write
a book", okay? "You could write a book on
965.13 -> that subject. You know so much about it."
Okay, so that's a conditional because you
973.22 -> could... The person may not decide: "Oh, right,
I'll write a book, then." They may think:
979.9 -> "Oh no. I can't... I can't do that, it's too
much work. I'm not going to do that." But
987.02 -> there's the possibility that they could
write a book if they wanted to. Okay.
995.23 -> And then finally: "I had the chance, the opportunity
to be in a Hollywood film, but it didn't happen."
1009.3 -> Something went wrong. They chose somebody
else, as often happens. It didn't happen.
1016.97 -> I had the chance, I had the opportunity, they
were thinking of me, considering me. This
1023.821 -> isn't true, by the way. But: "I had a chance to
be in a Hollywood film, but it didn't happen."
1034.089 -> So, how would you say that using the word
"could"? "I", you need several words here
1047.77 -> with "could", "could" plus some other words.
"I..." Okay, so "could" comes first. "I could",
1061.28 -> "in a Hollywood film". "I could have... I
could have been", okay? So: "I could have
1081.39 -> been in a Hollywood film, but
it didn't happen." Okay.
1086.77 -> So, I hope that's been useful for you. So, if
you'd like to go to the website, www.engvid.com,
1099.22 -> there's a quiz there. In addition to this
test we've just done, there's a quiz on this
1104.34 -> subject, so please go and try the quiz and
see how you do. And please subscribe to my
1109.67 -> channel if you've enjoyed this lesson, and
thanks for watching. See you again soon. Bye.
