Shana
Hi! In the following sentence, does "can" have to be "can"? Can "could" be an option? I am thinking if there is a conventional or grammatical rule for this😹 "Whether he was doomed, you can never tell"
Mar 13, 2024 6:51 AM
Answers · 11
1
“Could” is actually better because it expresses more uncertainty. Since you said “whether”, you have made things uncertain. That’s why “could” is better than “can”.
March 13, 2024
‘Could’ is possible but changes the meaning in an important way. Whether he was doomed, you couldn’t tell. (You are making the determination of his status in the past) Whether he was doomed, you can’t tell. (You are making the determination now) Replacing ‘not’ with ‘never’ extends the time period. You can never tell. (Now, and in the future) You could never tell. (In the past, and after that time in the past)
March 13, 2024
"could" is often used as a past version of "can". Given that "was doomed" appears like we are talking about the past, I would prefer "could".
March 13, 2024
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