I could buy it yesterday, wrong?
I just learned that I should not say:
I could buy it yesterday.
but rather use “was able” or “could have”.
At the same time, I have just seen a sentence:
He could help me but he did not.
That is correct?
grammaticality modal-verbs subjunctives
edited 13 hours ago
SamBC
4,719322
asked yesterday
John VJohn V
456313
add a comment |
I just learned that I should not say:
I could buy it yesterday.
but rather use “was able” or “could have”.
At the same time, I have just seen a sentence:
He could help me but he did not.
That is correct?
grammaticality modal-verbs subjunctives
edited 13 hours ago
SamBC
4,719322
asked yesterday
John VJohn V
456313
add a comment |
I just learned that I should not say:
I could buy it yesterday.
but rather use “was able” or “could have”.
At the same time, I have just seen a sentence:
He could help me but he did not.
That is correct?
grammaticality modal-verbs subjunctives
edited 13 hours ago
SamBC
4,719322
asked yesterday
John VJohn V
456313
I just learned that I should not say:
I could buy it yesterday.
but rather use “was able” or “could have”.
At the same time, I have just seen a sentence:
He could help me but he did not.
That is correct?
grammaticality modal-verbs subjunctives
grammaticality modal-verbs subjunctives
edited 13 hours ago
SamBC
4,719322
asked yesterday
John VJohn V
456313
edited 13 hours ago
SamBC
4,719322
asked yesterday
John VJohn V
456313
edited 13 hours ago
SamBC
4,719322
edited 13 hours ago
SamBC
4,719322
edited 13 hours ago
SamBC
4,719322
4,719322
asked yesterday
John VJohn V
456313
asked yesterday
John VJohn V
456313
asked yesterday
John VJohn V
456313
456313
add a comment |
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
It depends on context if the subjunctive mood is required or not
If you had already purchased a product yesterday, and today it's not available, then, "I could buy it yesterday," is a statement of fact, and grammatically correct. It could also be written as "I could buy it yesterday and I did."
On the other hand, if you had seen the product yesterday but not bought it, and today it's not available, then, "I could have bought it yesterday," using the subjunctive mood is needed. That is, "I could have bought it yesterday and didn't, and now I cannot."
answered yesterday
DrMoishe PippikDrMoishe Pippik
1,23247
Just so that this has been said... don't announce that you did things like that unless you know the person enjoys pretending that there's time travel that goes somewhere other than towards tomorrow. There are some people who really hate this.
– Ed Grimm
yesterday
Thanks, and what anout “He could help me but he did not“?
– John V
20 hours ago
@EdGrimm But doesn't also depend on the context? What about a sentence: I saw the book in the shop last week already, so he could definitely buy it yesterday.
– John V
19 hours ago
That still sounds like you wantcould haverather thancould, unless he actually did and you're being annoying, or you know he has a time machine.
– Ed Grimm
19 hours ago
@EdGrimm Ah..and it is the same case here? (Sentence I found):She came from the USA the day before yesterday so Mike could meet her yesterday. But I have no idea whether they met. // or could have met her?
– John V
19 hours ago
|
show 5 more comments
Maybe by some prescriptivist grammars, I could buy it yesterday doesn't work. It probably breaks some rules; lots of things do.
It is, however, absolutely normal in every dialect that I'm familiar with. It is generally equivalent to the more formally correct "I could have bought it yesterday".
answered yesterday
SamBCSamBC
4,719322
add a comment |
Your Answer
StackExchange.ready(function() {
var channelOptions = {
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "481"
};
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);
StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
createEditor();
});
}
else {
createEditor();
}
});
function createEditor() {
StackExchange.prepareEditor({
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader: {
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
},
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
});
}
});
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fell.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f197342%2fi-could-buy-it-yesterday-wrong%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
It depends on context if the subjunctive mood is required or not
If you had already purchased a product yesterday, and today it's not available, then, "I could buy it yesterday," is a statement of fact, and grammatically correct. It could also be written as "I could buy it yesterday and I did."
On the other hand, if you had seen the product yesterday but not bought it, and today it's not available, then, "I could have bought it yesterday," using the subjunctive mood is needed. That is, "I could have bought it yesterday and didn't, and now I cannot."
answered yesterday
DrMoishe PippikDrMoishe Pippik
1,23247
Just so that this has been said... don't announce that you did things like that unless you know the person enjoys pretending that there's time travel that goes somewhere other than towards tomorrow. There are some people who really hate this.
– Ed Grimm
yesterday
Thanks, and what anout “He could help me but he did not“?
– John V
20 hours ago
@EdGrimm But doesn't also depend on the context? What about a sentence: I saw the book in the shop last week already, so he could definitely buy it yesterday.
– John V
19 hours ago
That still sounds like you wantcould haverather thancould, unless he actually did and you're being annoying, or you know he has a time machine.
– Ed Grimm
19 hours ago
@EdGrimm Ah..and it is the same case here? (Sentence I found):She came from the USA the day before yesterday so Mike could meet her yesterday. But I have no idea whether they met. // or could have met her?
– John V
19 hours ago
|
show 5 more comments
It depends on context if the subjunctive mood is required or not
If you had already purchased a product yesterday, and today it's not available, then, "I could buy it yesterday," is a statement of fact, and grammatically correct. It could also be written as "I could buy it yesterday and I did."
On the other hand, if you had seen the product yesterday but not bought it, and today it's not available, then, "I could have bought it yesterday," using the subjunctive mood is needed. That is, "I could have bought it yesterday and didn't, and now I cannot."
answered yesterday
DrMoishe PippikDrMoishe Pippik
1,23247
Just so that this has been said... don't announce that you did things like that unless you know the person enjoys pretending that there's time travel that goes somewhere other than towards tomorrow. There are some people who really hate this.
– Ed Grimm
yesterday
Thanks, and what anout “He could help me but he did not“?
– John V
20 hours ago
@EdGrimm But doesn't also depend on the context? What about a sentence: I saw the book in the shop last week already, so he could definitely buy it yesterday.
– John V
19 hours ago
That still sounds like you wantcould haverather thancould, unless he actually did and you're being annoying, or you know he has a time machine.
– Ed Grimm
19 hours ago
@EdGrimm Ah..and it is the same case here? (Sentence I found):She came from the USA the day before yesterday so Mike could meet her yesterday. But I have no idea whether they met. // or could have met her?
– John V
19 hours ago
|
show 5 more comments
It depends on context if the subjunctive mood is required or not
If you had already purchased a product yesterday, and today it's not available, then, "I could buy it yesterday," is a statement of fact, and grammatically correct. It could also be written as "I could buy it yesterday and I did."
On the other hand, if you had seen the product yesterday but not bought it, and today it's not available, then, "I could have bought it yesterday," using the subjunctive mood is needed. That is, "I could have bought it yesterday and didn't, and now I cannot."
answered yesterday
DrMoishe PippikDrMoishe Pippik
1,23247
It depends on context if the subjunctive mood is required or not
If you had already purchased a product yesterday, and today it's not available, then, "I could buy it yesterday," is a statement of fact, and grammatically correct. It could also be written as "I could buy it yesterday and I did."
On the other hand, if you had seen the product yesterday but not bought it, and today it's not available, then, "I could have bought it yesterday," using the subjunctive mood is needed. That is, "I could have bought it yesterday and didn't, and now I cannot."
answered yesterday
DrMoishe PippikDrMoishe Pippik
1,23247
answered yesterday
DrMoishe PippikDrMoishe Pippik
1,23247
answered yesterday
DrMoishe PippikDrMoishe Pippik
1,23247
answered yesterday
DrMoishe PippikDrMoishe Pippik
1,23247
1,23247
Just so that this has been said... don't announce that you did things like that unless you know the person enjoys pretending that there's time travel that goes somewhere other than towards tomorrow. There are some people who really hate this.
– Ed Grimm
yesterday
Thanks, and what anout “He could help me but he did not“?
– John V
20 hours ago
@EdGrimm But doesn't also depend on the context? What about a sentence: I saw the book in the shop last week already, so he could definitely buy it yesterday.
– John V
19 hours ago
That still sounds like you wantcould haverather thancould, unless he actually did and you're being annoying, or you know he has a time machine.
– Ed Grimm
19 hours ago
@EdGrimm Ah..and it is the same case here? (Sentence I found):She came from the USA the day before yesterday so Mike could meet her yesterday. But I have no idea whether they met. // or could have met her?
– John V
19 hours ago
|
show 5 more comments
Just so that this has been said... don't announce that you did things like that unless you know the person enjoys pretending that there's time travel that goes somewhere other than towards tomorrow. There are some people who really hate this.
– Ed Grimm
yesterday
Thanks, and what anout “He could help me but he did not“?
– John V
20 hours ago
@EdGrimm But doesn't also depend on the context? What about a sentence: I saw the book in the shop last week already, so he could definitely buy it yesterday.
– John V
19 hours ago
That still sounds like you wantcould haverather thancould, unless he actually did and you're being annoying, or you know he has a time machine.
– Ed Grimm
19 hours ago
@EdGrimm Ah..and it is the same case here? (Sentence I found):She came from the USA the day before yesterday so Mike could meet her yesterday. But I have no idea whether they met. // or could have met her?
– John V
19 hours ago
Just so that this has been said... don't announce that you did things like that unless you know the person enjoys pretending that there's time travel that goes somewhere other than towards tomorrow. There are some people who really hate this.
– Ed Grimm
yesterday
Just so that this has been said... don't announce that you did things like that unless you know the person enjoys pretending that there's time travel that goes somewhere other than towards tomorrow. There are some people who really hate this.
– Ed Grimm
yesterday
Thanks, and what anout “He could help me but he did not“?
– John V
20 hours ago
Thanks, and what anout “He could help me but he did not“?
– John V
20 hours ago
@EdGrimm But doesn't also depend on the context? What about a sentence: I saw the book in the shop last week already, so he could definitely buy it yesterday.
– John V
19 hours ago
@EdGrimm But doesn't also depend on the context? What about a sentence: I saw the book in the shop last week already, so he could definitely buy it yesterday.
– John V
19 hours ago
That still sounds like you want
could have rather than could, unless he actually did and you're being annoying, or you know he has a time machine.– Ed Grimm
19 hours ago
That still sounds like you want
could have rather than could, unless he actually did and you're being annoying, or you know he has a time machine.– Ed Grimm
19 hours ago
@EdGrimm Ah..and it is the same case here? (Sentence I found):She came from the USA the day before yesterday so Mike could meet her yesterday. But I have no idea whether they met. // or could have met her?
– John V
19 hours ago
@EdGrimm Ah..and it is the same case here? (Sentence I found):She came from the USA the day before yesterday so Mike could meet her yesterday. But I have no idea whether they met. // or could have met her?
– John V
19 hours ago
|
show 5 more comments
Maybe by some prescriptivist grammars, I could buy it yesterday doesn't work. It probably breaks some rules; lots of things do.
It is, however, absolutely normal in every dialect that I'm familiar with. It is generally equivalent to the more formally correct "I could have bought it yesterday".
answered yesterday
SamBCSamBC
4,719322
add a comment |
Maybe by some prescriptivist grammars, I could buy it yesterday doesn't work. It probably breaks some rules; lots of things do.
It is, however, absolutely normal in every dialect that I'm familiar with. It is generally equivalent to the more formally correct "I could have bought it yesterday".
answered yesterday
SamBCSamBC
4,719322
add a comment |
Maybe by some prescriptivist grammars, I could buy it yesterday doesn't work. It probably breaks some rules; lots of things do.
It is, however, absolutely normal in every dialect that I'm familiar with. It is generally equivalent to the more formally correct "I could have bought it yesterday".
answered yesterday
SamBCSamBC
4,719322
Maybe by some prescriptivist grammars, I could buy it yesterday doesn't work. It probably breaks some rules; lots of things do.
It is, however, absolutely normal in every dialect that I'm familiar with. It is generally equivalent to the more formally correct "I could have bought it yesterday".
answered yesterday
SamBCSamBC
4,719322
edited 13 hours ago
answered yesterday
SamBCSamBC
4,719322
answered yesterday
SamBCSamBC
4,719322
answered yesterday
SamBCSamBC
4,719322
4,719322
add a comment |
add a comment |
Thanks for contributing an answer to English Language Learners Stack Exchange!
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fell.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f197342%2fi-could-buy-it-yesterday-wrong%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
