2014年10月10日 · How I can. I'm answering that way. When asking a question, the pronouns should be followed by an (auxiliary) verb. So, the structure in general is - What/How/Which etc. + verb + pronoun. A simple example is - What can you do for me? If you reverse the order, the phrase remains a sentence and not a question. What you can do for me is unknown.

The first thing to say is that the use of modal verbs is a complicated subject, since a given modal verb can have different uses, and different modal verbs may have a similar use. The following is based on the advise given in "Science Research Writing for Non-Native Speakers of English". This book lists the following uses for can and may ...

2013年3月10日 · If taken literally, "Can you" is equivalent to asking the person if they're capable of doing something. "Could you", on the other hand, implies that the action can be completed under some circumstances by the person. The usage of can you is idiomatic, and hence, is more popular used phrase of the two. Using either of them doesn't make them ...

"Could" also implies more of a polite request which may be refused, rather than a polite order, although this is a soft implication and does not make "Can" rude. I would generally suggest using "Could" although I'd perhaps change the word order as the following flows better and sounds most like a polite request.

You would not generally respond, He can have come early and left before you got there. When talking about impossibilities in the past, however, can't have is used nearly as often as couldn't have. No, he can't have come early; he's in class till 8 o'clock. No, he couldn't have come early; he's in class till 8 o'clock.

2021年11月1日 · "Can I ask a question?" "You mean may I ask a question. Obviously you can—you are able to—because you just asked one." But such use is so widespread that the correction is perhaps unreasonable in all but the most formal contexts. Could complicates things: it's just can, but in the conditional tense. But this conditional is commonly used to ...

2015年3月25日 · They are both correct. However "can" entails the issue of "possibility". If you ask someone "can you" it is as if you're wondering if they are capable of doing it. "May" is typically used for requests, but I will definitely side with WindowsDude7 right above! "Could" is definitely your best shot if you want to express politeness :)

However, you can use guidelines to make the right choice 90% of the time or more. If there is no compartment involved, you get ON it. (bicycle, motorcycle, skateboard, etc.) (Note: partial compartments, such as those of convertible cars or open-topped boats, count as compartments; pretty much anything where the vehicle at least partially ...

2010年9月25日 · Stack Exchange Network. Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Certainly many usage guides have advised against use of this "singular they" on various "logical" grounds.. Nevertheless, singular they has long been part of the English language, and there are various posts on Language Log giving examples of it being used in the Bible, by Shakespeare, by the president, by the Canadian Department of Justice,