CAN AND COULD

• Can with all the persons is used to express ability or capacity

For Example :-

He can write three pages in a minute.

I can play tennis well.

Can she speaks Bengali?

• Can is used to express possibility. 

 For Example :-

He can arrange fifty thousand rupees in Cuttack.

We can visit New Delhi at any time of the year.

• Can is used to express permission.

For Example :-

Can i take this pen ?

You can do it soon.

You can come at present.

• Can is generally used in the sense of ' to have', the power to or 'have the right to'.

For Example :-

One can apply for two posts at a time.

The customer can buy tea of any brand.

• Could is used to express to express ability or capacity in the past.

For Example :-

She could swim in the river when she was ten.

The mango was so sour that i couldn't eat.

I couldn't control my tongue when he used slang words at me.

• Could is used as the past tense of  'can' in indirect speech.

For Example :-

He said " I can work out the sum ".

He said that he could work out the sum.

Rosy said " I can help my friends ".

Rosy said that he could help her friends.

• Could is sometimes used to express polite requests.

For Example :-

Could you see me tomorrow?

Could you give me your new address ?

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