2

"I sought only to open your eyes to the world we could create together."

In this phrase, does "could" refer to the past or is it a possibility about something that could happen in the future? The verb "sought" creates some confusion because that is the past tense and I don't know if that therefore makes "could" also in past or if "could" can mean a possibility. What exactly does this "could" mean?

Improve this question
5
  • This is the epistemic use of "could", where it expresses possibility. I'd say it refers to both the present and the future.
    – BillJ
    Commented Oct 12, 2018 at 16:52
  • So, "could" in this sentence is not in the past? Does it mean something that they could create now (present) or in the future?
    – Ben
    Commented Oct 13, 2018 at 2:00
  • Yes, it does. Although "could" is a past tense verb, it does not refer to past time here. We understand that we could create the world together now or at some time in the future.
    – BillJ
    Commented Oct 13, 2018 at 6:52
  • So, even if there is a verb in past at the beginning of the sentence, "could" (speaking of other sentences) does not exactly mean past, does it?
    – Ben
    Commented Oct 14, 2018 at 2:54
  • That's right. Past time meaning could be conveyed by the past perfect in "I sought only to open your eyes to the world we could have created together". But in your sentence, "could" does not refer to past time. Consider "I wondered if I could see the film tomorrow".
    – BillJ
    Commented Oct 14, 2018 at 7:39

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

Could is conditional mood. It exists outside of time (as a hypothetical), but it could be a possibility that has closed (but then we would have seen could have create-d). However, in this case it is create, so it's an awkward construction where the create clause is still a possibility, but the subject is no longer seeking (sought - past) that 'reality.'

Improve this answer
1
  • I think you're right about this example, but could is also the past tense of can.
    – The Photon
    Commented Oct 12, 2018 at 16:43

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .