Can you explain the usage of "can have been" in the context?

Question

While reading Facing Unpleasant Facts: Narrative Essays by George Orwell, I stumbled by the sentence

When this episode happened I do not think I can have been less than twelve years old.

Can you explain the usage of can have been in the context?

I think we have to trust Eric Blair, here. He was a master of the language. It's an emphatic form of "I think it not possible that I was as young as twelve." — deadrat, Feb 17, 2017 at 7:43
@deadrat yeah, he was great indeed, and thank you for your kind reply, you've made it much clearer to me! — Mark Krasivii, Feb 17, 2017 at 9:28
The use of the modal "... I can have been less than .." (instead of the non-modal "...I was less than.. ") implies a greater degree of uncertainty by the author as to his age when the episode happened. — BillJ, Feb 17, 2017 at 9:50

user763554 · Accepted Answer · 2017-03-19 20:40:55Z

-6

"When this episode happened I do not think I can have been less than twelve years old."

First, it's COULD not CAN.

Second, it's an awkward sentence construction. It's better to say: I think I could not have been... than I don't think I can have been...

The meaning is what Kate Bunting said: "he cannot remember his exact age at the time, but thinks he must have been at least twelve."

To make the meaning easier to grasp, just remove unnecessary words. Example: "When that happened, I could not have been less than twelve."

answered Mar 19, 2017 at 20:40

user763554

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2

-1 The OP correctly quotes the source, which has can.
– Arm the good guys in America
Mar 20, 2017 at 4:02
1

-1 It's not everyday I see Orwell's prose criticised as being awkward.
– Rio1210
Mar 22, 2017 at 0:12

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