could 
(can的过去式) ☊ → ☊ → ☊ → 
could 
ได้ไหม ☊ daiF maiH 
có thể 
能 
könnte 
Where could I park? 
Ở đâu là bãi đỗ xe? * 065 Did he come on time? He could not come on time. Anh ấy đã đến đúng giờ không? Anh ấy đã không đến được đúng giờ. * 084 Did he find the way? He could not find the way. Anh ấy đã tìm được đường không? Anh ấy đã không tìm được đường. * 084 Did he understand you? He could not understand me. Anh ấy đã hiểu được bạn không? Anh ấy đã không hiểu được tôi. * 084 Why could you not come on time? Tại sao bạn đã không đến được đúng giờ? * 084 Why could you not find the way? Tại sao bạn đã không tìm được đường? * 084 Why could you not understand him? Tại sao bạn đã không hiểu được anh ấy? * 084 I could not come on time because there were no buses. Tôi đã không đến được đúng giờ, bởi vì xe buýt không chạy. * 084 I could not find the way because I had no city map. Tôi đã không tìm được đường, bởi vì tôi không có bản đồ thành phố. * 084 I could not understand him because the music was so loud. Tôi đã không hiểu được anh ấy, bởi vì nhạc ồn quá. * 084 After he had an accident, he could not work anymore. Sau khi anh ấy bị tai nạn, anh ấy đã không làm việc được nữa. * 096 like: could → →
who else could it be? ☊ chớ ai nữa ☊ what could be better than ~, there’s nothing like ~ ☊ còn gì bằng ☊ one could say ☊ có thể nói ☊ how could one not understand ☊ làm gì không hiểu ☊ how could one know? ☊ làm sao biết được ☊ no one knows, no one knew, no one can tell, no one could tell ☊ nào hay ☊ how could he do such a thing ☊ sao nó có thể làm một việc như thế ☊ before she could say anything ☊ trước khi nàng kịp thốt lên ☊ 1387
WhI was young, I could run very fast. ☊ Hồi toi còn bé, tôi có thể chạy rất nhanh. ☊ 1389
I was tired last night, but I couldn't sleep. ☊ Tối qua tôi mệt nhưng tôi không ngủ được. ☊ 1390
I had a party last week, but Imran and Latifa couldn't come. ☊ Tuần trước tôi có một bữa tiệc nhưng Imran và Latifa đã không đến được. ☊ 1391
Can you opthe door, please? > Could you opthe door, please? ☊ Cậu có thể mở cửa được không? Cậu làm ơn mở cửa được không? ☊ 1392
Can you wait a minute, please? > Could you wait a moment, please? ☊ Cậu có thể đợi một phút được không? Cậu làm ơn đợi một phút được không? ☊ 1393
Can I have change for a dollar, please? > Could I have change for a dollar, please. ☊ Tôi có thể đổi một dollar được không? Làm ơn cho tôi đổi một dollar được không? ☊ 1394
Silvio, can I borrow your umbrella? > Silvio, could I borrow your umbrella? ☊ Silvio, tôi có thể mượn cậu cái ô được không? Silvio, cho tôi mượn cái ô được không? ☊ 1395
Hello, can I speak to Tomas, please? > Hello, could I speak to Tomas please? ☊ Xin chào, tôi có thể nói chuyện với Tomas được không? Xin chào, cho tôi nói chuyện với Tomas được không? ☊ 1408
I was tired, but I couldn't sleep. ☊ Tôi mệt nhưng tôi đã không ngủ được. ☊ 1409
I wasn't hungry yesterday. I couldn't nish dinner. ☊ Hôm qua tôi không đói. Tôi đã không ăn hết bữa tối. ☊ 1411
Lakshmi couldn't go to the meeting last week. She was sick. ☊ Lakshmi tuần trước không đi họp được. Cô ấy bị ốm. ☊ 1897
I can speak a little French. — You can? But earlier you said you couldn't. ☊ Tôi biết nói một chút tiếng Pháp. - Thế ư? Nhưng trước cậu bảo cậu không biết cơ mà. ☊ 1929
How much does it cost to park here? > Could you tell me how much it costs to park here? ☊ Đỗ xe ở đây mất bao nhiêu? > Cậu có thể cho tôi biết đỗ xe ở đây mất bao nhiêu không? ☊ 1934
She wanted to know if I could speak another language. ☊ Cô ấy muốn biết tôi có biết nói ngôn ngữ nào khác không. ☊ 1954
Serge has a car and you need a ride to the station. You ask, "Could you give me a ride to the station?" ☊ Serge có xe hơi và bạn cần chở đến nhà gare. Bạn nói: "Cậu có thể chở tôi đến nhà gare được không?" ☊ 1974
It was very funny. I couldn't stop laughing. ☊ Buồn cười lắm. Tôi đã không thể nào ngừng cười. ☊ 2019
EN He could remember driving along the road just before the accident, but he couldn't remember the accident itself. ☊ Anh ấy nhớ được lúc lái xe trên đường ngay trước khi có tai nạn nhưng anh ấy không thể nhớ được chính lúc tai nạn. ☊ 2032
I tried to keep my eyes open, but I couldn't. ☊ Tôi đã cố gắng mở mắt nhưng tôi không làm được. ☊ 2043
She tried to be serious, but she couldn't help laughing. ☊ Cô ấy cố gắng nghiêm túc nhưng cô ấy không nhịn được cười. ☊ 2147
We whispered so that nobody could hear our conversation. ☊ Chúng tôi đã nói thầm để không ai có thể nghe thấy cuộc trao đổi của chúng tôi. ☊ 2150
I slowed down so that the car behind me could pass. ☊ Tôi đi chậm lại để chiếc xe đằng sau tôi vượt qua được. ☊ 2194
I could hear it raining. ☊ Tôi đã nghe thấy được trời đang mưa. ☊ 2357
I tried to study, but I couldn't concentrate. ☊ Tôi đã cố học nhưng tôi không tập trung được. ☊ 2372
I'd like to have a garden so that I could grow my own vegetables. ☊ Tôi muốn có vườn để tôi có thể tự trồng rau cho riêng tôi. ☊ 2442
I couldn't decide which of the two (2) shirts to buy. I liked both. ☊ Tôi không quyết định được trong hai cái áo thì mua cái nào. Tôi thích cả hai. ☊ 2446
You could stay at either of these hotels. (2) > You could stay at any of these hotels. (many) ☊ Cậu có thể ở một trong hai khách sạn này. > Cậu ở khách sạn nào cũng được. ☊ 2530
The doctor who examined me couldn't nd anything wrong. ☊ Vị bác sĩ khám cho tôi không tìm thấy được vấn đề gì. ☊ 2574
The movie was unnecessarily long. It could have been much shorter. ☊ Bộ lm dài không cần thiết. Nó lẽ ra phải ngắn hơn nhiều. ☊ 2586
The music was so loud that you could hear it from miles away. ☊ Âm nhạc to đến nỗi mà tôi có thể nghe thấy nó cách đây hàng dặm. ☊ 2596
The instructions were very complicated. They could have been simpler. ☊ Chỉ dẫn rất phức tạp. Lẽ ra nó phải đơn giản hơn. ☊ 2602
Could you speak a bit more slowly? ☊ Cậu nói chậm hơn một chút được không? ☊ 2615
I'm sorry I'm late. I got here as fast as I could. ☊ Xin lỗi tôi đến muộn. Tôi đã đến đây sớm nhất có thể. ☊ 2617
Could you send me the money as soon as possible? ☊ Cậu có thể gửi cho tôi tiền sớm nhất có thể không? ☊ Even though I was really tired, I couldn't sleep.'> 2655 Even though I was really tired, I couldn't sleep.'>
I couldn't sleep despite being very tired. > Even though I was really tired, I couldn't sleep. Even though I was really tired, I couldn't sleep.'> ☊ Tôi không ngủ được mặc dù tôi rất mệt. Cho dù tôi thực sự mệt, tôi vẫn không ngủ được. ☊ 2721
EN There's somebody at the door, could you please answer it? ☊ Có ai đó ngoài cửa, cậu làm ơn trả lời được không? ☊ 2761
I didn't bring enough cash, so could I pay BY credit card? ☊ Tôi không mang đủ tiền mặt, vậy tôi có thể trả bằng thẻ tín dụng được không? ☊ 2976
They couldn't get along with each other, so the relationship didn't work out in the end. ☊ Họ đã không thể sống với nhau nên mối quan hệ cuối cùng đã không thành. ☊ The damage couldn't have been caused accidentally. ☊ accidentally ☊
They could not achieve their target of less than 3% inflation. ☊ achieve ☊
You could tell she was just putting on an act. ☊ act ☊
admit to sb that...: I couldn't admit to my parents that I was finding the course difficult. ☊ admit ☊
advise sb: Her mother was away and couldn't advise her. ☊ advise ☊
None of them could afford £50 for a ticket. ☊ afford ☊
She felt she couldn't afford any more time off work. ☊ afford ☊
I'd give up work if I could afford it. ☊ afford ☊
She never took a taxi, even though she could afford to. ☊ afford ☊
afford sth to do sth: He couldn't afford the money to go on the trip. ☊ afford ☊
They could ill afford to lose any more staff. ☊ afford ☊
I could come next week, or the week after. ☊ after ☊
Could you say it again, please? ☊ again ☊
agree what, where, etc...: We couldn't agree what to do. ☊ agree ☊
agree (that)...: She agreed (that) I could go early. ☊ agree ☊
'It's terrible.' 'I couldn't agree more!' (= I completely agree) ☊ agree ☊
Your work is all right but I'm sure you could do better. ☊ all right ☊
it amazes sb that.../to see, find, learn, etc.: It amazed her that he could be so calm at such a time. ☊ amaze ☊
This could be the answer to all our problems. ☊ answer ☊
He answered as truthfully as he could. ☊ answer ☊
apparent (to sb) (that...): It soon became apparent to everyone that he couldn't sing. ☊ apparent ☊
To all appearances (= as far as people could tell) he was dead. ☊ appearance ☊
apply sth to sb/sth: The word 'unexciting' could never be applied to her novels. ☊ apply ☊
It could be argued that laws are made by and for men. ☊ argue ☊
I could hear laughter all around. ☊ around ☊
arrest sb for doing sth: You could get arrested for doing that. ☊ arrest ☊
ask sb if, whether, etc...: She asked her boss whether she could have the day off. ☊ ask ☊
ask whether, what, etc...: I asked whether they could change my ticket. ☊ ask ☊
I was asked if/whether I could drive. ☊ ask ☊
I couldn't give the programme my undivided attention. ☊ attention ☊
avoid sth: The accident could have been avoided. ☊ avoid ☊
We could only get seats at the back (= of the room). ☊ back ☊
Could you call back later, please? ☊ back ☊
Could you go back to the beginning of the story? ☊ back ☊
He could no longer hold back his tears. ☊ back ☊
There was a lot of background noise (= that you could hear, but were not listening to). ☊ background ☊
It was so crowded I couldn't get to the bar. ☊ bar ☊
bear sth: The pain was almost more than he could bear. ☊ bear ☊
She couldn't bear the thought of losing him. ☊ bear ☊
Could you give me a bed for the night (= somewhere to sleep)? ☊ bed ☊
believe (that)...: She couldn't believe (that) it was all happening again. ☊ believe ☊
I never thought I could make it as an actor, but my parents always believed in me. ☊ believe in sb ☊
I could still see the airport buildings far below. ☊ below ☊
He couldn't see the benefit of arguing any longer. ☊ benefit ☊
The meal couldn't have been better. ☊ better ☊
All this has happened because you couldn't be bothered to give me the message. ☊ can't be bothered (to do sth) ☊
The air was so cold we could hardly breathe. ☊ breathe ☊
Heavy (= loud) breathing was all I could hear. ☊ breathing ☊
I could tell by the look on her face that something terrible had happened. ☊ by ☊
calculate that...: Conservationists calculate that hundreds of species could be lost in this area. ☊ calculate ☊
He couldn't answer the question. ☊ can ☊
I could drive a car before I left school. ☊ can ☊
She could feel a lump in her breast. ☊ can ☊
She was certainly attractive but you couldn't call her beautiful. ☊ certainly ☊
When installing electrical equipment don't take any chances. A mistake could kill. ☊ chance ☊
Could you give me change for a ten pound note (= coins or notes that are worth this amount)? ☊ change ☊
chase after sb/sth: He chased after the burglar but couldn't catch him. ☊ chase ☊
I'm sure I could buy this more cheaply somewhere else. ☊ cheaply ☊
Could you give the tyres a check? ☊ check ☊
I could cheerfully have killed him when he said that (= I would have liked to). ☊ cheerfully ☊
He had no choice but to leave (= this was the only thing he could do). ☊ choice ☊
You could have claimed the cost of the hotel room from your insurance. ☊ claim ☊
The water was so clear we could see the bottom of the lake. ☊ clear ☊
She was in Australia but I could hear her voice as clear as a bell. ☊ clear ☊
We tried to match the colours, but this is the closest we could get. ☊ close ☊
You'll catch your death of cold (= used to warn sb they could become ill if they do not keep warm in cold weather). ☊ cold ☊
concentrate sth: Nothing concentrates the mind better than the knowledge that you could die tomorrow (= it makes you think very clearly). ☊ concentrate ☊
They could not say with confidence that he would be able to walk again after the accident. ☊ confidence ☊
A conflict between the two countries could easily spread across the whole region. ☊ conflict ☊
This decision could have serious consequences for the industry. ☊ consequence ☊
The company is being actively considered as a potential partner (= it is thought possible that it could become one). ☊ consider ☊
control yourself: I was so furious I couldn't control myself and I hit him. ☊ control ☊
Such behaviour could cost you your place in the team. ☊ cost ☊
I couldn't stop coughing. ☊ cough ☊
She said that she couldn't come. ☊ could ☊
I couldn't hear what they were saying. ☊ could ☊
Sorry, I couldn't get any more. ☊ could ☊
Could I use your phone, please? ☊ could ☊
Could we stop by next week? ☊ could ☊
Could you babysit for us on Friday? ☊ could ☊
I could do it now, if you like. ☊ could ☊
Don't worry—they could have just forgotten to call. ☊ could ☊
You couldn't have left it on the bus, could you? ☊ could ☊
'Have some more cake.' 'Oh, I couldn't, thank you (= I'm too full).' ☊ could ☊
We could write a letter to the director. ☊ could ☊
You could always try his home number. ☊ could ☊
They could have let me know they were going to be late! ☊ could ☊
'I did all I could to help.' 'Of course,' he murmured gently. ☊ of course ☊
Are you crazy? We could get killed doing that. ☊ crazy ☊
Those who could not write signed with a cross. ☊ cross ☊
I just couldn't stop crying. ☊ cry ☊
cut sth (from...) (to...): Could you cut your essay from 5 000 to 3 000 words? ☊ cut ☊
Your hair could do with a cut (= it is too long). ☊ cut ☊
They could not break the cycle of harvest failure, food shortage, price increase and misery. ☊ cycle ☊
This could cause serious damage to the country's economy. ☊ damage ☊
It was dark outside and I couldn't see much. ☊ dark ☊
I could sit and watch the river all day long. ☊ day ☊
She couldn't decide whether he was telling the truth or not. ☊ decide ☊
What could have delayed him? ☊ delay ☊
delighted that...: I was delighted that you could stay. ☊ delighted ☊
There's no denying (the fact) that quicker action could have saved them. ☊ deny ☊
He was the sort of person you could depend on. ☊ depend on/upon sb/sth ☊
depend sb/sth to do sth: He knew he could depend upon her to deal with the situation. ☊ depend on/upon sb/sth ☊
design sb sth: Could you design us a poster? ☊ design ☊
The house had everything you could desire. ☊ desire ☊
I could only devote two hours a day to the work. ☊ devote sth to sth ☊
Could you direct me to the station? ☊ direct ☊
disappointed (in/with sb/sth): I'm disappointed in you—I really thought I could trust you! ☊ disappointed ☊
discover (that)...: It was a shock to discover (that) he couldn't read. ☊ discover ☊
do doing sth: I could have done without being (= I wish I had not been) woken up at three in the morning. ☊ do without (sb/sth) ☊
I could hear a dog barking. ☊ dog ☊
Events could have developed in a dramatically different way. ☊ dramatically ☊
I tried to draw him aside (= for example where I could talk to him privately). ☊ draw ☊
Could you drive me home? ☊ drive ☊
Could I have a drop more milk in my coffee, please? ☊ drop ☊
She was a drug addict (= could not stop using drugs). ☊ drug ☊
Life in a small town could be deadly dull. ☊ dull ☊
dust sth: Could you dust the sitting room? ☊ dust ☊
You could feel the earth shake as the truck came closer. ☊ earth ☊
I couldn't eat another thing (= I have had enough food). ☊ eat ☊
Either he could not come or he did not want to. ☊ either ☊
Yes I did give it to her. What else could I do? ☊ else ☊
empty sth out: I emptied out my pockets but could not find my keys. ☊ empty ☊
I've had a number of close encounters (= situations that could have been dangerous) with bad drivers. ☊ encounter ☊
This latest attack could spell the end of the peace process. ☊ end ☊
I couldn't get through—the line's engaged. ☊ engaged ☊
This job could be done equally well by a computer. ☊ equally ☊
I could hear every word they said. ☊ every ☊
examine sb/sth: The doctor examined her but could find nothing wrong. ☊ examine ☊
Excuse me, could you let me through? ☊ excuse me ☊
Making the wrong decision could prove expensive. ☊ expensive ☊
Could you explain yourself a little more—I didn't understand. ☊ explain yourself ☊
You could be exposing yourself to unnecessary risks when driving alone. ☊ expose ☊
I would be extremely grateful if you could have a word with her. ☊ extremely ☊
I could no longer ignore the fact that he was deeply unhappy. ☊ fact ☊
She was happy apart from the fact that she could not return home. ☊ fact ☊
We could hear their voices growing fainter as they walked down the road. ☊ faint ☊
Her attitude could fairly be described as hostile. ☊ fairly ☊
I couldn't see any familiar faces in the room. ☊ familiar ☊
His parents supported him as far as they could. ☊ far ☊
a competition to see who could throw (the) farthest ☊ farthest ☊
The police said that they had reacted as fast as they could. ☊ fast ☊
Could you do me a favour and pick up Sam from school today? ☊ favour ☊
I feel I could continue playing until I am 35. ☊ feel ☊
feel sth: I could feel the warm sun on my back. ☊ feel ☊
She could not feel her legs. ☊ feel ☊
She could feel herself blushing. ☊ feel ☊
fetch sb sth: Could you fetch me my bag? ☊ fetch ☊
Could you give me a few more details? ☊ few ☊
We couldn't figure her out. ☊ figure sb/sth out ☊
No one could have predicted the final outcome. ☊ final ☊
In the pool she could see little silvery fish darting around. ☊ fish ☊
flood sth: If the pipe bursts it could flood the whole house. ☊ flood ☊
I couldn't speak for laughing. ☊ for ☊
The release of the hostages could not be achieved without the use of force. ☊ force ☊
You could tell she was foreign by the way she dressed. ☊ foreign ☊
Could you possibly forget about work for five minutes? ☊ forget ☊
Who could forget his speech at last year's party? ☊ forget ☊
Once into the open street they could breathe more freely. ☊ freely ☊
Could we order some fresh coffee? ☊ fresh ☊
It's frightening to think it could happen again. ☊ frightening ☊
She could only nod, because her mouth was full. ☊ full ☊
It's not funny! Someone could have been hurt. ☊ funny ☊
Nothing could be further from the truth. ☊ further ☊
This deal could safeguard the futures of the 2 000 employees. ☊ future ☊
As a general rule (= usually) he did what he could to be helpful. ☊ general ☊
+ adv./prep.: The bridge was destroyed so we couldn't get across the river. ☊ get ☊
We couldn't get the piano through the door. ☊ get ☊
get sb/sth to do sth: I couldn't get the car to start this morning. ☊ get ☊
I tried calling you several times but I couldn't get through. ☊ get through (to sb) ☊
get doing sth: I wish I could get out of going to that meeting. ☊ get out of sth ☊
Could you get me up at 6.30 tomorrow? ☊ get up, get sb up ☊
They couldn't give me any more information. ☊ give ☊
Could you give me back my pen? ☊ give sb back sth, give sth back (to sb) ☊
Could you give me my pen back? ☊ give sb back sth, give sth back (to sb) ☊
Could we go through (= practise) Act 2 once more? ☊ go through sth ☊
+ speech: 'You know,' he went on, 'I think my brother could help you.' ☊ go on ☊
I would be grateful if you could send the completed form back as soon as possible. ☊ grateful ☊
I had a guilty conscience and could not sleep. ☊ guilty ☊
Could you hand these books out, please? ☊ hand sth out (to sb) ☊
I wasn't sure if I could handle such a powerful car. ☊ handle ☊
At that time you could hang for stealing. ☊ hang ☊
happy (that)...: I'm happy (that) you could come. ☊ happy ☊
I could hardly believe it when I read the letter. ☊ hardly ☊
'Couldn't you have just said no?' 'Well, hardly (= of course not), she's my wife's sister.' ☊ hardly ☊
I couldn't hear anything. ☊ hear ☊
hear sb/sth doing sth: He could hear a dog barking. ☊ hear ☊
I could feel my heart pounding in my chest (= because of excitement, etc.). ☊ heart ☊
He could feel the heat of the sun on his back. ☊ heat ☊
help (sb) in doing sth: I need contacts that could help in finding a job. ☊ help ☊
She couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. ☊ sb can (not) help (doing) sth, sb can not help but do sth ☊
It couldn't be helped (= there was no way of avoiding it and we must accept it). ☊ sb can (not) help (doing) sth, sb can not help but do sth ☊
I couldn't help it if the bus was late (= it wasn't my fault). ☊ sb can (not) help (doing) sth, sb can not help but do sth ☊
She burst out laughing—she couldn't help herself (= couldn't stop herself). ☊ sb can (not) help (doing) sth, sb can not help but do sth ☊
The staff couldn't have been more helpful. ☊ helpful ☊
No amount of make-up could hide her age. ☊ hide ☊
I could not hide my joy at seeing him again. ☊ hide ☊
To his horror, he could feel himself starting to cry (= it upset him very much). ☊ horror ☊
I couldn't live in a hot country (= one which has high average temperatures). ☊ hot ☊
The whole idea of going was so that we could meet her new boyfriend. ☊ idea ☊
I didn't enjoy the book because I couldn't identify with any of the main characters. ☊ identify with sb ☊
He couldn't tell if she was laughing or crying. ☊ if ☊
With a little imagination, you could turn this place into a palace. ☊ imagination ☊
She learnt to drive in three weeks (= after three weeks she could drive). ☊ in ☊
indicate how, what etc...: Our results indicate how misleading it could be to rely on this method. ☊ indicate ☊
influence (with sb): She could probably exert her influence with the manager and get you a job. ☊ influence ☊
This could seriously injure the company's reputation. ☊ injure ☊
Could I interest you in this model, Sir? ☊ interest sb in sth ☊
She couldn't speak much English so her children had to interpret for her. ☊ interpret ☊
joke about sth: They often joked about all the things that could go wrong. ☊ joke ☊
I couldn't follow the talk because he kept jumping about from one topic to another. ☊ jump ☊
If you do not keep up with the payments you could lose your home. ☊ keep up with sth ☊
His contribution could be key. ☊ key ☊
I couldn't see who was speaking, but I knew the voice. ☊ know ☊
Knowing Ben, we could be waiting a long time (= it is typical of him to be late). ☊ know ☊
The new rules could mean the end of football as we know it (= in the form that we are familiar with). ☊ know ☊
know (that)...: He knew (that) he could trust her. ☊ know ☊
They could relax safe in the knowledge that they had the funding for the project. ☊ knowledge ☊
Could I have your attention, ladies and gentlemen? ☊ lady ☊
The doctors did all they could, but it was too late. ☊ be too late ☊
The show was hilarious—I couldn't stop laughing. ☊ laugh ☊
You could at least listen to what he says. ☊ at least ☊
They could see that the company had a limited life (= it was going to close). ☊ life ☊
My father died last year—I wish I could bring him back to life. ☊ life ☊
Could I have a lift into town? ☊ lift ☊
She could just see by the light of the candle. ☊ light ☊
If you like, we could go out this evening. ☊ if you like ☊
If you have any spare milk, could you give me a little? ☊ little ☊
She screamed as loudly as she could. ☊ loudly ☊
I could hardly believe my luck when he said yes. ☊ luck ☊
She couldn't make herself heard above the noise of the traffic. ☊ make ☊
We couldn't have managed without you. ☊ manage ☊
She could at least have the good manners to let me know she won't be able to attend. ☊ manner ☊
I thought maybe we could go together. ☊ maybe ☊
mean sb/sth doing sth: The injury could mean him missing next week's game. ☊ mean ☊
When I saw the exam questions my mind just went blank (= I couldn't remember anything). ☊ mind ☊
As for avoiding you, nothing could be further from my mind (= I was not thinking of it at all). ☊ mind ☊
I could not have complete peace of mind before they returned. ☊ mind ☊
Could I see you for a minute? ☊ minute ☊
I told her my secret in the mistaken belief that I could trust her. ☊ mistaken ☊
Could you wait a moment, please? ☊ moment ☊
By the light of the moon I could just make out shapes and outlines. ☊ moon ☊
Could you repeat that once more (= one more time)? ☊ more ☊
She could earn $200 a night, more or less. ☊ more or less ☊
No dessert for me, thanks. It was as much as I could do to finish the main course. ☊ as much as sb can do ☊
She could hear music playing somewhere. ☊ music ☊
He shouted so loudly that the whole neighbourhood could hear him. ☊ neighbourhood ☊
notice (that)...: I couldn't help noticing (that) she was wearing a wig. ☊ notice ☊
I could give you any number of (= a lot of) reasons for not going. ☊ number ☊
It should have been an occasion for rejoicing, but she could not feel any real joy. ☊ occasion ☊
They made me an offer I couldn't refuse. ☊ offer ☊
Oh, Sue! Could you help me a moment? ☊ oh ☊
He could only watch helplessly as the car plunged into the ravine. ☊ only ☊
We could see the stars through an opening in the roof. ☊ opening ☊
The men in prison would never cry openly (= so that other people could see). ☊ openly ☊
I could see smoke coming from the windows of the house directly opposite. ☊ opposite ☊
Liverpool couldn't match the opposition in the final and lost 2-0. ☊ opposition ☊
At that price, you could have bought an original! ☊ original ☊
My parents lent me the money. Otherwise, I couldn't have afforded the trip. ☊ otherwise ☊
At last we could see the dim outline of an island. ☊ outline ☊
He repeated it several times over until he could remember it. ☊ over ☊
David waited for a pause in the conversation so he could ask his question. ☊ pause ☊
a change which could affect perhaps 20% of the population ☊ perhaps ☊
'You could do it yourself.' 'Yeah, perhaps.' ☊ perhaps ☊
He piled his plate with as much food as he could. ☊ pile ☊
pile B on(to) A: He piled as much food as he could onto his plate. ☊ pile ☊
I could only feel pity for what they were enduring. ☊ pity ☊
She couldn't attend the meeting so her assistant took her place. ☊ take sb's/sth's place, take the place of sb/sth ☊
Please could I leave early today? ☊ please ☊
How could you possibly think that I had anything to do with it! ☊ possibly ☊
Could you possibly open that window? ☊ possibly ☊
They tried everything they possibly could to improve the situation. ☊ possibly ☊
Could you post this letter for me? ☊ post ☊
Nobody could predict the outcome. ☊ predict ☊
I couldn't concentrate, presumably because I was so tired. ☊ presumably ☊
prevent sth/sb: The accident could have been prevented. ☊ prevent ☊
I couldn't believe it when I heard the news. I'd only seen him the previous day. ☊ previous ☊
She was too proud to admit she could be wrong. ☊ proud ☊
This development could push the country into recession. ☊ push ☊
At the push of a button (= very easily) he could get a whole list of names. ☊ push ☊
I couldn't read what she had put. ☊ put ☊
It's a great book. I couldn't put it down. ☊ put sth down ☊
Could you put me through to the manager, please? ☊ put sb/sth through (to sb/...) ☊
Could you keep the kids quiet while I'm on the phone? ☊ quiet ☊
This accident could have produced a real tragedy. ☊ real ☊
I couldn't resist the opportunity to meet a real live celebrity. ☊ real ☊
He couldn't reasonably be expected to pay back the loan all at once. ☊ reasonably ☊
recall sth: She could not recall his name. ☊ recall ☊
it is recognized that...: It was recognized that this solution could only be temporary. ☊ recognize ☊
The lights (= traffic lights) changed to red before I could get across. ☊ red ☊
She could see herself reflected in his eyes. ☊ reflect ☊
reflect how, what, etc...: She reflected how different it could have been. ☊ reflect ☊
+ speech: 'It could all have been so different,' she reflected. ☊ reflect ☊
reform sb: She thought she could reform him. ☊ reform ☊
Could you sign the hotel register please, sir? ☊ register ☊
The decision could be one he lives to regret. ☊ regret ☊
She couldn't find any regular employment. ☊ regular ☊
I couldn't see my regular doctor today. ☊ regular ☊
I'm sorry—could you repeat that? ☊ repeat ☊
resist (sth): I finished the cake. I couldn't resist it. ☊ resist ☊
Eric couldn't resist a smile when she finally agreed. ☊ resist ☊
resist doing sth: He couldn't resist showing off his new car. ☊ resist ☊
The database could be used as a teaching resource in colleges. ☊ resource ☊
reveal how, what, etc...: Officers could not reveal how he died. ☊ reveal ☊
If only I could have helped put matters right. ☊ right ☊
ring for sth: Could you ring for a cab? ☊ ring ☊
He isn't here now—could you ring back later? ☊ ring back, ring sb back ☊
We could probably trust her with the information but it's just not worth the risk. ☊ risk ☊
They were in the next room and we could hear every word they said. ☊ room ☊
run sth: Could you run the engine for a moment? ☊ run ☊
Could we run through your proposals once again? ☊ run through sth ☊
Could I have a cigarette? I seem to have run out. ☊ run out (of sth) ☊
say sth/sb: You could learn the basics in, let's say, three months. ☊ say ☊
'When will it be finished?' 'I couldn't say (= I don't know).' ☊ say ☊
It was not until morning that the sheer scale of the damage could be seen (= how great it was). ☊ scale ☊
All I could hear were the screams of the wounded. ☊ scream ☊
see (sb/sth): She looked for him but couldn't see him in the crowd. ☊ see ☊
see (that)...: He could see (that) she had been crying. ☊ see ☊
see to do sth: It was getting dark and I couldn't see to read. ☊ see ☊
Only with a few people could she be her real self (= show what she was really like rather than what she pretended to be). ☊ self ☊
send sb: Ed couldn't make it so they sent me instead. ☊ send ☊
send sth (that)...: She sent word (that) she could not come. ☊ send ☊
I could hardly believe the evidence of my own senses (= what I could see, hear, etc.). ☊ sense ☊
The consequences could be serious. ☊ serious ☊
Seriously though, it could be really dangerous. ☊ seriously ☊
serve sth: I wanted to work somewhere where I could serve the community. ☊ serve ☊
This could set a new fashion. ☊ set ☊
Could you set the table for dinner? ☊ set ☊
He had to settle his affairs (= arrange all his personal business) in Paris before he could return home. ☊ settle ☊
He could not live with the shame of other people knowing the truth. ☊ shame ☊
What a shame they couldn't come. ☊ shame ☊
I could just make out a dark shape in the distance. ☊ shape ☊
shift sth: Could you help me shift some furniture? ☊ shift ☊
The shock of the explosion could be felt up to six miles away. ☊ shock ☊
shock sb that...: Neighbours were shocked that such an attack could happen in their area. ☊ shock ☊
shout that...: He shouted that he couldn't swim. ☊ shout ☊
I couldn't get a signal on my cell phone. ☊ signal ☊
I couldn't understand a single word she said! ☊ single ☊
You could get into a situation where you have to decide immediately. ☊ situation ☊
He could see no way out of the situation. ☊ situation ☊
I couldn't sleep because of the noise. ☊ sleep ☊
smell sth: He said he could smell gas when he entered the room. ☊ smell ☊
I could smell alcohol on his breath. ☊ smell ☊
smell (that)...: I could smell that something was burning. ☊ smell ☊
They could not ensure a smooth transfer of political power. ☊ smooth ☊
so ... (that)...: She spoke so quietly (that) I could hardly hear her. ☊ so ☊
It couldn't have been me—it must have been someone else (= a different person). ☊ someone ☊
I could just eat a little something. ☊ something ☊
Sorry to bother you, but could I speak to you for a moment? ☊ sorry ☊
Sorry? Could you repeat the question? ☊ sorry ☊
Could you turn the sound up/down? ☊ sound ☊
It was believed that people could be possessed by evil spirits. ☊ spirit ☊
spread sth: Using too much water could spread the stain. ☊ spread ☊
Could I have three first-class stamps, please? ☊ stamp ☊
stand doing sth: She couldn't stand being kept waiting. ☊ stand ☊
When the band started out, they couldn't afford much equipment. ☊ start out ☊
This could be the start of something big. ☊ start ☊
state secrets (= information that could be harmful to a country if it were discovered by an enemy) ☊ state ☊
The windows were stiff and she couldn't get them open. ☊ stiff ☊
We searched everywhere but we still couldn't find it. ☊ still ☊
She couldn't stomach any breakfast. ☊ stomach ☊
stop sth: Doctors couldn't stop the bleeding. ☊ stop ☊
Fields and hills stretched out as far as we could see. ☊ stretch ☊
it strikes sb how, what, etc...: It suddenly struck me how we could improve the situation. ☊ strike ☊
She wasn't a strong swimmer (= she could not swim well). ☊ strong ☊
Could you move all that stuff off the table? ☊ stuff ☊
This issue was of such importance that we could not afford to ignore it. ☊ such ☊
The atmosphere of Mars could not support life. ☊ support ☊
suppose (that)...: Suppose flights are fully booked on that day—which other day could we go? ☊ suppose ☊
I could take you in the car, I suppose (= but I don't really want to). ☊ suppose ☊
suppose (that)...: I don't suppose (that) I could have a look at your newspaper, could I? ☊ suppose ☊
We could not be sure of financial support. ☊ sure ☊
We could see fish swimming just below the surface. ☊ surface ☊
They couldn't conceal their surprise at seeing us together. ☊ surprise ☊
I could have sworn (= I am sure) I heard the phone ring. ☊ swear ☊
talk in sth: We couldn't understand them because they were talking in Chinese. ☊ talk ☊
teach (sb to do) sth: Could you teach me to do that? ☊ teach ☊
tell (that)...: I could tell (that) he was angry from his expression. ☊ tell ☊
She was so tired (that) she couldn't think straight. ☊ that ☊
think where, how, etc...: We couldn't think where you'd gone. ☊ think ☊
I tried to call you but I couldn't get through. ☊ through ☊
They had a competition to see who could throw the furthest. ☊ throw ☊
He couldn't get close enough to see. ☊ to ☊
Could you tell me where the ladies' toilet is, please? ☊ toilet ☊
None of them could sing in tune. ☊ in/out of tune ☊
Could you turn the TV up? ☊ turn sth up ☊
Typically, she couldn't find her keys. ☊ typically ☊
I couldn't sleep because the bed was so uncomfortable. ☊ uncomfortable ☊
understand why, what, etc...: I could never understand why she was fired. ☊ understand ☊
It was unfortunate that he couldn't speak English. ☊ unfortunate ☊
I could tell something was up by the looks on their faces. ☊ up ☊
We could make better use of our resources. ☊ make use of sth/sb ☊
This information could prove useful. ☊ useful ☊
After using the cream for a month, I could see no visible difference. ☊ visible ☊
I could hear voices in the next room. ☊ voice ☊
He was suffering from flu and had lost his voice (= could not speak). ☊ voice ☊
Waiter, could you bring me some water? ☊ waiter ☊
Could you watch my bags for me while I buy a paper? ☊ watch ☊
I could see my reflection in the water. ☊ water ☊
I moved my legs out of the way so that she could get past. ☊ out of the way ☊
There's no way we could afford that sort of money. ☊ (there is) no way ☊
In a weak moment (= when I was easily persuaded) I said she could borrow the car. ☊ weak ☊
All her friends could hear wedding bells (= they thought she would soon get married). ☊ wedding ☊
Well, I suppose I could fit you in at 3.45. ☊ well ☊
I don't wish (= I don't mean) to be rude, but could you be a little quieter? ☊ wish ☊
wish sb sth: She could not believe that he wished her harm. ☊ wish ☊
He has everything he could possibly wish for. ☊ wish ☊
Without wanting to criticize, I think you could have done better. (= used before you make a critical comment) ☊ without ☊
I couldn't bear to witness their suffering. ☊ witness ☊
Could I have a quick word with you (= speak to you quickly)? ☊ word ☊
I could hear every word they were saying. ☊ word ☊
He couldn't find the words to thank her enough. ☊ word ☊
I couldn't work out where the music was coming from. ☊ work sth out ☊
Never mind—it could be worse (= although the situation is bad, it is not as bad as it might have been). ☊ worse ☊
She wrote back saying that she couldn't come. ☊ write back (to sb) ☊
Could you put your complaint in writing? ☊ in writing ☊
The doctor could find nothing wrong with him. ☊ wrong ☊
I think she lives at number 44, but I could be wrong. ☊ wrong ☊
We couldn't help yawning during the speech. ☊ yawn ☊