Usually we use the same tense in both answer and question.
I'm a non-native speaker of English.
2007-02-28 23:10:40 · 9 answers · asked by maggie 4 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
To rowdy: It surely is!!
2007-03-01 11:11:46 · update #1
I think you can still answer "yes, I could", but you prefer "yes, I can", because when someone asks "could...?", he/she uses past tense to show politeness (he/she kindly asks you IF there is a POSSIBILITY that you can and want to do something). If you can do what you are asked, you answer "I can". If you say "I could", you mainly mean that you could do it hypothetically speaking, but you rather suggest you are not going to do it.
(I'm a non-native speaker either.)
2007-02-28 23:18:13 · answer #1 · answered by supersonic332003 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
'could' follows a *conditional* - an *if*. in this kind of question it communicates a *wish* on the part of the speaker. there is an implied conditional - 'if you were going to be kind to me...' (or similar) - at the beginning of the question. it's therefore more polite than if the speaker asked 'can you close the window' which is more of a direct *command*.
if we answer 'yes, i can' it is to communicate a direct compliance with the asker's wish - ie i am willing and able to, and will do it right now. if we answer 'yes, i could' there is the implied conditional again.... 'i could, if....' (i wanted to/you gave me a kiss after/i was cold as well/the latch wasn't broken...)
2007-03-01 19:12:00 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Grammatically, the correct tense in the question is "Can you close the window?" But we use the "wrong" tense because it's more polite (you're asking someone to do something for you). It sounds slightly less direct.
Therefore, the correct answer is indeed, "Yes, I can".
If you answer "Yes I could", it sounds like you're saying "maybe I will, maybe I won't".
English is complicated, isn't it?
2007-03-01 18:24:23 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Its not the answer that is the problem, its the question. the person asking should say "can you open the window?"
you are entirely correct with what you're saying. If I answered "yes I could", that would suggest I am saying "yes I am able to" instead of "yes I can" which implies you are actually going to do it.
2007-03-01 07:22:50 · answer #4 · answered by Poppet 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Supersoni described best why we use could instead of can. Made me think that's why I got an open-mouth glare from girl who asked if I could close train window (in the days when you could, can and would) when I objected as her real message was CLOSE THAT WINDOW NOW. Think I gave in at end in case older people in draught but still annoys me when people confuse a breath of fresh air removing smokefug (fog) as an invasion from the Great Outdoors.
2007-03-01 08:07:11 · answer #5 · answered by Serendipity 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Presumably the person who is asking the question is not wondering how capable you are of the closing the window but rather asking will you do it.... It is said as a request, the person asking should actually say "Please will you close the window".
2007-03-01 07:18:31 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree very much with the first answer.
It is more about answering that you would be happy to do so and not that you are physically able to do so.
2007-03-01 07:29:59 · answer #7 · answered by shirju_rich 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know why, but "Yes, I could" seems to imply a following "...but I won't".
2007-03-01 07:18:55 · answer #8 · answered by dBalcer 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I could (if you paid me)
I can (but I won't)
Would I?
I would (if I could)
CLOSE THE BLOODY WINDOW
OK
2007-03-01 07:18:55 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋