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could not touch vs can not touch

Both "could not touch" and "can not touch" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "Could not touch" is used to indicate a past inability to make contact or reach something, while "can not touch" is used to express a present inability to make contact or reach something.

Last updated: March 20, 2024 • 758 views

could not touch

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate a past inability to make contact or reach something.

This phrase is used to describe a situation in the past where contact or reaching was not possible. It implies that the inability to touch something was true at a specific point in the past.

Examples:

When I was a child, I could not touch the top shelf in the kitchen.
Due to the high security, the valuable artifacts could not be touched by visitors.
The electric fence was so dangerous that it could not be touched without getting shocked.
The fragile glassware could not be touched by anyone except the experts.
The painting was so delicate that it could not be touched by bare hands.

Show examples from the web [+]

Oct 25, 2012 ... Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person ...
They had been carried into deep water, where the tallest of them could not touch bottom. The Boy Slaves Mayne Reid. Here, too, soundings of seventeen ...
They had been carried into deep water, where the tallest of them could not touch bottom. Here, too, soundings of seventeen hundred feet have been necessary ...
Jan 16, 2012 ... Kevin Wilson - Never Been Down So Far the Lord Could Not Touch Me.MP4. Robert Stephens. SubscribeSubscribedUnsubscribe 4040.

Alternatives:

was unable to touch
was not able to touch
could not reach
could not make contact with

can not touch

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to express a present inability to make contact or reach something.

This phrase is used to describe a current situation where contact or reaching is not possible. It implies that the inability to touch something is true at the present moment.

Examples:

Please be careful, the surface is so hot that you can not touch it.
Due to safety regulations, the equipment can not be touched without proper training.
The wild animals in the zoo can not be touched by visitors.
The wet paint on the wall can not be touched until it dries completely.
The sharp edges of the metal can not be touched without gloves.

Show examples from the web [+]

Failure/Error: post :create, :user => user_params ActiveRecord:: ActiveRecordError: can not touch on a new record object. As this problem can ...
Dec 21, 2013 ... Destroying already destroyed object with touch association causes "can not touch on a new record object" error #13445. Closed.
1 2 3 4 5. 1k views 69 ratings 8 saves. By sparkleslol. Question: I am an instrument that you can hear, but you can not touch or see me. What am I? Show Answer ...
... and greatly afflict and grieve him, but he can not touch his life, or hurt him with the second death; nay, sometimes the believer is so enabled to wield the shield ...

Alternatives:

cannot reach
cannot make contact with
is unable to touch
is not able to touch

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