Could is also used to talk about ability in the present, but it has a special meaning. If you say that someone could do something, you mean that they have the ability to do it, but they don't in fact do it.

'Could' is a modal auxiliary verb used to express possibility, ability, or permission in the past. It plays a significant role in conveying various meanings depending on context, such as suggesting โ€ฆ

We use could to ask for permission. Could is more formal and polite than can: Could I ask you a personal question?

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Definition of could modal verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

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