student asking question

Why's "could" used here rather than "can?"

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Good question! Here "could" indicates the possibility of helping, but it's not certain that the help is wanted. It's also a little more polite in tone. Whereas, here, "can" would imply that they do want help, but the people are finding out how they can help. Ex: Could you help me tomorrow morning? = Is there a possibility that you can help me tomorrow? Ex: Can you help me tomorrow morning? = Do you have the time or ability to help me tomorrow?

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