What is the difference between would be and could be

Would has its origin in the Old English word wolde. As a verb could is used to indicate possibility, annoyance because of something that has not been done, a strong inclination to do something and to make suggestions or polite requests. In the same manner would is used to give advice, to express a desire or inclination, a polite request and many more.

The word could is used differently in different circumstances. It is generally used in sentences that are expressive of requests such as:. In both the sentences given above, you can see that the word could is used expressive of request. It is interesting to note that both the sentences end with a question mark. She could walk 50 miles in a day, when she was young. Would you mind if I take your novel? Maybe she could meet Piya when she go to Amsterdam. I would meet you, but I was little busy.

It can also be used in giving suggestions to someone or making polite requests. It refers to something, which is just an imagination, i. It also indicates the willingness or inclination towards something. Let us now discuss its usage:. When it comes to requests, we can use both could and would, but could is more formal and polite than would. While making polite requests, could is used with suggestions, as it indicates a possibility.

English is full of verbs that seem interchangeable or at least only trivially different, but skilled writers know when and how to use them for maximum clarity. Could and would are two such verbs. They both have many uses, which makes them confusing for many beginning writers and English language learners. Although they seem similar, there are definite situations when one word is more appropriate than the other.

Verb choice is a crucial part of careful writing, so read on to find out the differences between these two confusing verbs. In this article, I will compare could vs. This way, you will be able to see them in their proper context. Additionally, I will show you a memory tool that can help you choose would or could correctly every time.

What does could mean? Could is a verb with many senses. Could is the past tense of can , a verb used to denote ability. In this sense, could refers to some ability that someone had in the past. In both of these examples, could is being used to express an ability that the speaker had in the past.