Are these two sentences correct?
I know he speaks French, German and Italian so he can't be Swiss.
I know he speaks French, German and Italian so he could be Swiss.
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Answers · 5
1
Does 'Swiss' in that sentence means people from Switzerland? if yes, the correct answer is the 2nd sentence.
1
I know he speaks French, German and Italian so he can't be Swiss. (Incorrect - this sentence, whilst grammatically correct is not true as many Swiss citizens do speak these languages; but also a person speaking those three languages could be from anywhere, including Switzerland).
I know he speaks French, German and Italian so he could be Swiss. (Correct)
0
In terms on syntax, those sentences are both correct in the "subjunctive", however "subjunctive" is hardly ever used, in spoken English
Therefore, if you were wanting to convey such a meaning, such as you have, apparently intended, in spoken English, you should say: "I know THaT" ie "I know that he speaks French.........."
Grammatically, you have made one small error: you need to place a comma ",", after Italian ie
"I know that he speaks French, German and Italian, so he can't be Swiss".
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