Can or could in English
Sign up for free to get all information about private lessons and our available group courses (A1, A2, B2, B2, C1, C2)
Sign up for freeSign up for free to get all information about private lessons and our available group courses (A1, A2, B2, B2, C1, C2)
Sign up for freeWe offer both private lessons and organized group courses
Sign up for free to get all available courses or contact one of our teachers yourself!
Our offer
In this chapter the difference between the modal verbs 'can' and 'could' will be explained. These verbs are always used together with another verb.
'Can' is a modal verb that can be used to express ability, permission, possibility, request or offer. The following tables show the usage of the modal verb 'can'
Use | Example |
---|---|
Abiliity | I can dance. |
Permission | Can I go to my friends today? |
Possibility | It can be very hot in the summer here. |
Request | Can you help me? |
Offer | Can we help you? |
Take online language lessons with a professional teacher
'Could' is a modal verb that can be used to express ability, permission, possibility, request or offer.The following tables show the usage of the modal verb 'could'.
Use | Example |
---|---|
Ability | I could speak English. |
Permission | He could go to the city center his mom said. |
Possibility | It could be a nice party tomorrow. |
Request | Could you give me the paper, please? |
Offer | I could help you, if you want. |
'Could' is a form of the verb 'can' and they seem to be used the same way in the same situations. But these forms are not always used the same.'Could' is considered to be more polite than 'can'.
The table below shows the different uses of the verbs and shows what the difference between 'can' and 'could' is.
Situation | Examples | Can vs. could |
---|---|---|
Ability |
| When talking about abilities, 'can' is used for the present or future and 'could' is used for the past. |
Permission |
| 'Can' and 'could' can both be used to ask or give permission, but 'could' is more polite. |
Possibility |
| 'Can' is used to make general statements and 'could' is used for:
|
Request |
| To use 'could' to do a request is more polite than to use 'can'. |
Offer |
| Normally 'can I...' is used to make offers, but sometimes 'I can...' or 'I could...' are used. |
Practice your knowledge of 'can' and 'could' with the following exercises.
Choose which form fits the sentence best: can or could?
I speak English very well.
Sir, you give me a paper towel, please?
It get very cold at night, so bring a sweater.
I help you?
I drop you off at the station, if you want.
we go to the party later?
He go to the party his mom said.
It get very hot at night, but it did not in the end.
I not believe that you said that.
Madam, you please help me?
Choose which form fits the sentence best: can or could?
I speak English very well.
Sir, you give me a paper towel, please?
It get very cold at night, so bring a sweater.
I help you?
I drop you off at the station, if you want.
we go to the party later?
He go to the party his mom said.
It get very hot at night, but it did not in the end.
I not believe that you said that.
Madam, you please help me?
Unlike in other platforms, all our teachers are manually verified by our professional team. Trust in the experiences of our students.
I am a certified TEFL English teacher. I am flexible and I teach based on your learning style. For instance, if you learn best with visuals I will incoporate vidoes and picyures into our lessons. My lesson plans focus on grammar, writing, and pronunciation. Learning a new language is fun and I make my lessons fun and innovative.
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Vanessa is a new teacher and eager to help you learn English. Her lessons are fun and interactive. She teaches from A1 to B2.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
I’m Mediha, originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina but have been living in Croatia for many years. I love making learning fun and have successfully helped my students improve their English in a pleasant atmosphere. I have experience helping my learners prepare for exams, job interviews, presentations etc. Whether business English, general conversational English or to help you prepare for a particular situation, feel free to book a trial lesson and we can discuss your needs and how I can help you! I graduated on University of Philosophy, and became (MA) master of English. I have many years of experience. I’m looking forward to meeting you!
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Mediha is great teacher. She understands personality of the student and she helped me to find correct goals, methodology and guides me great. I recommend here and I will use here services for sure in the future
Mediha D.Thank You very much, Mirsad! I appreciate Your postive feedback and I hope we continue to work together on Your progress. I can see a bright future for You in this field as a confident public speaker
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
HI ! I'm Costin and I live in United Kingdom. I am a C2 - Certified ESL Teacher and in the last 6 years I have been an Online ESL teacher and I have taught English to more than 12000 online students.
I own a wide experience in online teaching being always ready to adopt and develop most suitable teaching techniques according to the level and needs of each student.
I use professional online materials / lesson plans which include pictures, vocabulary words, reading texts, grammar, free talk and variety of different learning subjects !
I will help you to evaluate together your primary learning interests and establish all details about the best teaching methods we will apply according to your needs and English learning plans.
I am very friendly, patient, energetic, enthusiastic and professional while teaching, ready to correct, explain and answer to all necessary issues during each class.
Teaching English is my passion ! and my focus is to help you to discover your maximum potential of your abilities to learn and use English language with full confidence anywhere in the world !
See you in my class ! :)
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Costin has a lot of experience in teaching groups. He mainly teaches to adults. He teaches different kinds of English. Furthermore, he specializes in International Business marketing vocabulary. His learning materials are personalized to the students wants and needs.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
This is Kezia , she is a Native English Speaker who loves meeting new people and learning about countries and their cultures. She has over 8 years of teaching experience both in the classroom and online, she is able to teach from age 20 years old to age 80 years old, teaching from the beginner level to the advanced level student. She has a customized teaching skill set that is unique to all her students as each student has different learning goals and needs as well as each student has different strengths. She teaches in a fun, relaxed, easy and simple way that will have you more confident and be able to communicate much better after a few lessons. She is able to teach you grammar,writing,reading and pronunciation.
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Kezia has taught to all ages and backgrounds. She has over 8 years of teaching experience. Furthermore, she adjusts her classes to the needs of every individual student. She teaches to all levels (A1-C2). She is very enthusiastic and ready to help you learn the English language!
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Hello, my name is Corinne and I am a qualified ESL English teacher from England. I have been teaching in classrooms and online for over 3 years and I have many satisfied students.
My lessons are student-centred and usually take place on Skype. I treat every student as an individual and tailor my lessons to meet their goals. I use a variety of text books and free online resources including exercises, articles and videos. I usually give out a little homework at the end of each lesson to reinforce what we have done together.
In your first lesson, we will discuss your needs and check your current level. From this, we can decide what sort of lessons will suit you the best. Perhaps you struggle with grammar and sentence structure? Perhaps you need to practice English for a specific purpose, like understanding lectures, making phone calls at work, or travelling? Or perhaps you need a structured course so that you can learn English step by step?
Whatever you need, I’m here to help. I see it as my job to make you feel safe, build your confidence and make your lessons enjoyable. I look forward to hearing from you and to helping you on your path to speaking better English. Book your first lesson now and let’s get started.
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
I learn a lot during my lessons with Corinne and I recommend her a lot! She is a fantastic teacher and a really sympathic person. I like her very much.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Hello! I am a CELTA-qualified native English teacher offering lessons carefully tailored to your needs. Learn by dynamic conversation exchange, written pieces, songs lyrics, podcasts, and fun and challenging exercises.
I have a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology and have been rock climbing for about 25 years. As an Italian language learner myself, I believe that talking about your passions is one of the most effective ways of mastering a new language. I look forward to hearing about your interests!
I offer a free 15-minute meeting to discuss your personal goals for learning. Let’s work together to bring you closer to those English language goals!
-Parlo italiano-
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Melissa is a teacher with great empathy. She clearly enjoys teaching English and does this in a very professional manner.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Oksana is a very experienced teacher. She has written several Russian course books. Since she is a native speaker, she can teach you more than only the language. Her classes also include culture, she adjusts her classes to your needs. She is an enthusiastic teacher, ready to help you learn a new language!
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
English teacher with 13 years teaching experience in Italy. Speaks English and Italian.
Hi, I'm Jason, I'm English and live in Central Italy where I teach English to students of all levels, all ages and all abilities. English for school, for exams or tests, for work or for business.
My methods are based on building your confidence to speak English, developing your listening skills so you can understand English and helping you understand the grammar rules of the English language.
Why in this way? Because my students have the best results when they are able to speak in English as soon as possible. Then, when you can converse in English and understand simple conversation you can develop all your language skills very quickly.
Of course, for some students, grammar and written English is a priority and I can help you develop these skills first if that is what you need.
For others they need to learn specific vocabulary for their work, I have given courses in business, medicine and tourism that can be adapted for all types of work situations.
I am teaching students from 3 to 70 years old and my lessons are adapted for every individual so they have the best opportunity to realize their goals.
If you are interested then please contact me for a chat and a free trial lesson.
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
I'm William and I'm a Belgian student who was looking for a teacher to improve my English because I have to pass a test in September before I may start a Master education at the university. I contacted Jason and we've had 2 lessons at this time. These lessons were very usefull and Jason explained everything to me when I had a question or when there was something I understood very well on that moment. So Jason is a very good teacher also very kind and he will help you a lot with a lot of passion.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
I am very good with beginners and intermediate students. I help with pronunciation, learning new vocabulary and grammar. I always offer corrections and offer endless speaking opportunities.
I enjoy teaching and more than anything I enjoy teaching English, but as much as I teach I am always looking for an opportunity to learn. I allow myself to learn something from my students as many times as they are willing to teach. Together with my students, we create an atmosphere of on-going conversation around our class topic.
I have a Bachelor of English degree, as well as a 120-HOUR TEFL Certificate. I am mostly fluent in English, as it has the language medium throughout my entire life and school career.
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
My experience with teacher Comfort was excellent. She is patient, kind and explains in a way that is very easy to understand, giving you support tools for learning. I highly recommend her. Thank you so much Comfort.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
My name is Julija Mihalova. I’m an enthusiastic Russian language tutor with over 12 years experience. I have a degree in Translation. I also have a certificate from Moskou University to teach Russian as a foreign language.
These individualized lessons will help you achieve the necessary level of Russian in the shortest possible time.
I will be happy to help you :
· learn Russian vocabulary for everyday life and traveling
· learn Russian for professional purposes, the broader job opportunities
· reach the A1/A2/B1/B2/C1 level Russian of the Common European Framework
· if you are someone who is curious about a different culture; OR wants to keep your brain active and fit by giving it an excellent workout.
As your tutor, I will focus on your preferences and provide you with an individualized learning program.
Regardless of the level at which you start, you will be able to communicate in Russian from the very first lesson. I will help you to understand grammar and reading; to enrich your vocabulary, speaking and listening skills through life communication fun games; and will provide activities to help the lessons ‘stick’.
The materials of each lesson will be provided in a visual, easy to perceive, form.
I am a friendly, professional and committed tutor and you will be assisted and supported as you progress along your individual learning curve.
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Julija has over more than 20 years of teaching experience. She teaches to all ages and levels from A1 to C2. She has lots of interactive learning materials. You'll surely feel comfortable in her classes!
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, I left the country in 1994 to join an internship program in the USA, and have been living abroad ever since. Three years in the US, followed by 4 years in South Korea, where I graduated from the Keimyung University. Continuing on: lived and worked in Dubai, Australia, France and Thailand. I speak 5 languages and teach 2.
I have been teaching since my Uni years in Korea, going on twenty years now. I love my job, my students, the challenges, the joy. I know what my students are facing face along the way, their concerns and setbacks - I've been there. I am a very capable and efficient teacher, confident in getting the best results.
I am fun and resourceful, love to challenge myself and my student, captivate their interest and make sure they accomplish the highest possible goals.
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
This was an amazing experience! Yulia is the best teacher I have ever met, very knowledgable and personable. Within our first session I was able to get an understanding of a few really difficult English language rules, which I struggled with for many years. She is a great coach as well, I received a great confidence and motivation boost. Once my personal and professional issues get resolved, I am going for the Intensive Course with Yulia. Thank you!
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
I have an Honours degree in Quantity Surveying from the Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. I have 2 years experience in tutoring in University. The beauty of teaching English online is that there is often an exchange between student and teacher beyond the content of the lesson plan itself. I will be interacting with students of all ages from a variety of nationalities which gives me an opportunity to learn about their languages. My teaching method is I do, you do and we do, this method allows me to interact fully with my students and make the lessons more fun and easy to understand.
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
I loved learning english with Teacher Pumeza. She is kind, she is patient and involves me in the lesson. I like that she involved me in making a lesson plan. Her connection was perfect and I could hear her nicely.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Hello!
Do you want to learn Italian from zero or improve your language level? Do you need to pass a language certification's exam?
My name is Alessio, and I am and experienced Italian instructor with passion for my job.
Contact me, and we can discuss together a customized plan of lessons.
Alessio
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
I learn Italian with Alessio and I would say that it's a great experience. He is a very thoughtful teacher who puts a lot of thought into how he presents the material. He paces me just right so I feel myself challenged but not overwhelmed. His lessons are engaging, useful, and he is very patient. I would highly recommend him to anyone interested in learning Italian.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
I am a certified TEFL teacher and have taught ESL for the past three years. I can help you become more confident in speaking the English language which I believe is one of the most important parts of learning a language. If you want to pass exams I can also help you prepare for them and create lessons focused on listening, writing, oral and reading. I love traveling and if you are interested we can talk about the difference in cultures or any known sites in that country. We can speak about any categories you choose from politics to nature, I can build a class on that. I will help you in any way you can from beginners to advance I want to help you learn English!
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
I liked the conversion we had - teacher changed topic few time topic in the right direction and it help very much for speaking.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Recently, the health situation has prompted me to leave my home country and start a professional retraining. Passionate about English since childhood, I chose to do the TEFL Course to be able to teach the language. Having just graduated with distinction, I would now like to move on to the next step of my apprenticeship : Teaching.
My first lessons will be based on the PPP method or Presentation-Practice-Production. This method consists, first of all, in presenting or having people guess the target language before giving learners the opportunity to practice it through controlled activities. During the last step of the lesson, students have the opportunity to produce the language in freer activities.
I will try, as much as possible, to give my students a way to discover the target language for themselves, based on their existing knowledge. Also, since the practice of a foreign language requires oral comprehension, my lessons will be entirely given in English.
My classes are open to everyone!
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Clément is a new teacher and is eager to help you learn English. He specializes in teaching the levels A1 until B2. He is patient and structures his class according to the PPP (Presentation, Practice, Production) Method. You are guaranteed to learn a lot from him!
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
I am a certified TEFL English teacher. I am flexible and I teach based on your learning style. For instance, if you learn best with visuals I will incoporate vidoes and picyures into our lessons. My lesson plans focus on grammar, writing, and pronunciation. Learning a new language is fun and I make my lessons fun and innovative.
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Vanessa is a new teacher and eager to help you learn English. Her lessons are fun and interactive. She teaches from A1 to B2.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
I’m Mediha, originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina but have been living in Croatia for many years. I love making learning fun and have successfully helped my students improve their English in a pleasant atmosphere. I have experience helping my learners prepare for exams, job interviews, presentations etc. Whether business English, general conversational English or to help you prepare for a particular situation, feel free to book a trial lesson and we can discuss your needs and how I can help you! I graduated on University of Philosophy, and became (MA) master of English. I have many years of experience. I’m looking forward to meeting you!
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Mediha is great teacher. She understands personality of the student and she helped me to find correct goals, methodology and guides me great. I recommend here and I will use here services for sure in the future
Mediha D.Thank You very much, Mirsad! I appreciate Your postive feedback and I hope we continue to work together on Your progress. I can see a bright future for You in this field as a confident public speaker
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
HI ! I'm Costin and I live in United Kingdom. I am a C2 - Certified ESL Teacher and in the last 6 years I have been an Online ESL teacher and I have taught English to more than 12000 online students.
I own a wide experience in online teaching being always ready to adopt and develop most suitable teaching techniques according to the level and needs of each student.
I use professional online materials / lesson plans which include pictures, vocabulary words, reading texts, grammar, free talk and variety of different learning subjects !
I will help you to evaluate together your primary learning interests and establish all details about the best teaching methods we will apply according to your needs and English learning plans.
I am very friendly, patient, energetic, enthusiastic and professional while teaching, ready to correct, explain and answer to all necessary issues during each class.
Teaching English is my passion ! and my focus is to help you to discover your maximum potential of your abilities to learn and use English language with full confidence anywhere in the world !
See you in my class ! :)
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Costin has a lot of experience in teaching groups. He mainly teaches to adults. He teaches different kinds of English. Furthermore, he specializes in International Business marketing vocabulary. His learning materials are personalized to the students wants and needs.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
This is Kezia , she is a Native English Speaker who loves meeting new people and learning about countries and their cultures. She has over 8 years of teaching experience both in the classroom and online, she is able to teach from age 20 years old to age 80 years old, teaching from the beginner level to the advanced level student. She has a customized teaching skill set that is unique to all her students as each student has different learning goals and needs as well as each student has different strengths. She teaches in a fun, relaxed, easy and simple way that will have you more confident and be able to communicate much better after a few lessons. She is able to teach you grammar,writing,reading and pronunciation.
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Kezia has taught to all ages and backgrounds. She has over 8 years of teaching experience. Furthermore, she adjusts her classes to the needs of every individual student. She teaches to all levels (A1-C2). She is very enthusiastic and ready to help you learn the English language!
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials