student asking question

Can I change "could" to "can" here?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Yes, you can replace "could" with "can." With the way the sentence is structured, the meaning won't change if you decided to use "can" here. Using "can" actually sounds more natural than "could" does. Keep in mind that this isn't always the case. There are times where "could' and "can" cannot be interchanged. "Can" means be able to or permitted to do something. "Could" refers to the possibility or the ability to do something. Here are examples where "could" and "can" cannot be interchanged. Ex: When I was a child, I could do cartwheels! Ex: I can knit. Here are examples where "could" and "can" can be interchanged. Ex: Can you tell me how to get to Times Square? Ex: Could you tell me how to get to Times Square?

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