Tense problem: What is the difference in meaning?
1) Schools could ensure that motivated students participated.
2) Teachers could ensure that children gain more from working together.
Sentence 1 is about a hypothetical scenario in the future. This is why we have "could ensure" and "participated", but I saw sentence 2. It has "could ensure" but with the verb "gain".
Why is this?
What is the difference in the meaning?
If it not a hypothetical scenario in the future , why did the writer bring "could ensure"?
tense
asked Jan 1 at 16:06
Antonio Conte
1397
add a comment |
1) Schools could ensure that motivated students participated.
2) Teachers could ensure that children gain more from working together.
Sentence 1 is about a hypothetical scenario in the future. This is why we have "could ensure" and "participated", but I saw sentence 2. It has "could ensure" but with the verb "gain".
Why is this?
What is the difference in the meaning?
If it not a hypothetical scenario in the future , why did the writer bring "could ensure"?
tense
asked Jan 1 at 16:06
Antonio Conte
1397
On its own, as a complete sentence, your first example is in the past tense.
– Matt
Jan 1 at 16:33
add a comment |
1) Schools could ensure that motivated students participated.
2) Teachers could ensure that children gain more from working together.
Sentence 1 is about a hypothetical scenario in the future. This is why we have "could ensure" and "participated", but I saw sentence 2. It has "could ensure" but with the verb "gain".
Why is this?
What is the difference in the meaning?
If it not a hypothetical scenario in the future , why did the writer bring "could ensure"?
tense
asked Jan 1 at 16:06
Antonio Conte
1397
1) Schools could ensure that motivated students participated.
2) Teachers could ensure that children gain more from working together.
Sentence 1 is about a hypothetical scenario in the future. This is why we have "could ensure" and "participated", but I saw sentence 2. It has "could ensure" but with the verb "gain".
Why is this?
What is the difference in the meaning?
If it not a hypothetical scenario in the future , why did the writer bring "could ensure"?
tense
tense
asked Jan 1 at 16:06
Antonio Conte
1397
asked Jan 1 at 16:06
Antonio Conte
1397
edited Jan 1 at 18:09
asked Jan 1 at 16:06
Antonio Conte
1397
asked Jan 1 at 16:06
Antonio Conte
1397
asked Jan 1 at 16:06
Antonio Conte
1397
1397
On its own, as a complete sentence, your first example is in the past tense.
– Matt
Jan 1 at 16:33
add a comment |
On its own, as a complete sentence, your first example is in the past tense.
– Matt
Jan 1 at 16:33
On its own, as a complete sentence, your first example is in the past tense.
– Matt
Jan 1 at 16:33
On its own, as a complete sentence, your first example is in the past tense.
– Matt
Jan 1 at 16:33
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
You have two different meanings of could.
In the first, it is the past of can, and this is either hypothetical in the present, or actual in the past (past of "Schools can ensure that motivated students participate")
In the second, because of the present verb in the dependent clause, this cannot be past, so it involves what is now a separate meaning of could: a more tentative or more dubious version of can: something like "teachers might be able to ensure".
answered Jan 1 at 16:46
Colin Fine
28.4k24155
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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You have two different meanings of could.
In the first, it is the past of can, and this is either hypothetical in the present, or actual in the past (past of "Schools can ensure that motivated students participate")
In the second, because of the present verb in the dependent clause, this cannot be past, so it involves what is now a separate meaning of could: a more tentative or more dubious version of can: something like "teachers might be able to ensure".
answered Jan 1 at 16:46
Colin Fine
28.4k24155
add a comment |
You have two different meanings of could.
In the first, it is the past of can, and this is either hypothetical in the present, or actual in the past (past of "Schools can ensure that motivated students participate")
In the second, because of the present verb in the dependent clause, this cannot be past, so it involves what is now a separate meaning of could: a more tentative or more dubious version of can: something like "teachers might be able to ensure".
answered Jan 1 at 16:46
Colin Fine
28.4k24155
add a comment |
You have two different meanings of could.
In the first, it is the past of can, and this is either hypothetical in the present, or actual in the past (past of "Schools can ensure that motivated students participate")
In the second, because of the present verb in the dependent clause, this cannot be past, so it involves what is now a separate meaning of could: a more tentative or more dubious version of can: something like "teachers might be able to ensure".
answered Jan 1 at 16:46
Colin Fine
28.4k24155
You have two different meanings of could.
In the first, it is the past of can, and this is either hypothetical in the present, or actual in the past (past of "Schools can ensure that motivated students participate")
In the second, because of the present verb in the dependent clause, this cannot be past, so it involves what is now a separate meaning of could: a more tentative or more dubious version of can: something like "teachers might be able to ensure".
answered Jan 1 at 16:46
Colin Fine
28.4k24155
answered Jan 1 at 16:46
Colin Fine
28.4k24155
answered Jan 1 at 16:46
Colin Fine
28.4k24155
answered Jan 1 at 16:46
Colin Fine
28.4k24155
28.4k24155
add a comment |
add a comment |
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On its own, as a complete sentence, your first example is in the past tense.
– Matt
Jan 1 at 16:33