couldn't do this vs can't do this

Both phrases are correct, but they convey slightly different meanings. 'Couldn't do this' implies that the action was not possible in the past, while 'can't do this' suggests that the action is currently not possible. The choice between them depends on the specific context and the intended time frame of the impossibility.

Last updated: March 19, 2024

couldn't do this

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English. It implies that the action was not possible in the past.

This phrase is used to express that a particular action was not possible in the past. It refers to a situation where the inability to do something existed at a specific point in the past.

Examples:

I couldn't do this yesterday because I was too busy.
She couldn't do this task last week due to a lack of resources.

Alternatives:

was unable to do this
wasn't able to do this
failed to do this

can't do this

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English. It suggests that the action is currently not possible.

This phrase is used to express that a particular action is currently not possible. It refers to a situation where the inability to do something exists in the present.

Examples:

I can't do this right now because I don't have the necessary tools.
She can't do this task at the moment due to a lack of information.

Alternatives:

am unable to do this
cannot do this
unable to do this

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9).

"Thank you!"
Sachi Nakama July 2024
"I have literally been through chat, PI, claude, bard and bing and I got conflicting answers! Thank you! Human intelligence reigns!"
Retha July 2024
"Faster than AI"
CYNTHIA December 2023
"This was very helpful and I personally think this site is the best."
Kaden October 2023
"It was extremely thorough and very helpful!"
imperialelisa October 2023
"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"
Zubair Alam October 2023
"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."
Selena October 2023
"Without textranch I would be stuck!"
宏祐 October 2023
"Accuracy and fast response. Personal comments from editor. Thank you."
Clh September 2023
"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"
Arturo September 2023
"The fact that you can get reliable fast feedback on your texts."
Vinicius Antonio August 2023
"you guys are better than grammarly i'm being honest here"
ordinary July 2023
"OMG! This is really good than any other text correction tools I've used so far. Highly recommend this."
Vehan July 2023
"Very fast and accurate. thank you."
mojtaba July 2023
"I love this app because it's help to writing skills all of students ♥️"
Tarisini July 2023
"This was exactly the mistake I was looking for, the wording dind´t sound right at first. Better than grammarly!"
Ente July 2023
"The immediate help that I received was reassuring and very satisfactory. Thanks."
priiiyanshuu July 2023
"this helps A LOT for my studies."
kathnunez02 June 2023
"Woow!! I would never have expected such precision! Thank you soooo much!!"
Berta June 2023
"Real Time Editor and not AI. Many Thanks."
Priya June 2023
"The very first thing excites me about Textranch is how much your editors care."
sepideh June 2023
"The fact that texts are checked by human editors rather than by AI, etc. I appreciate this!"
Анна June 2023
"Feel welcome, immediate response, high quality feedback"
martin.roy June 2023
"This is the best app that I have ever seen"
Burulai May 2023

couldn't do this vs can't do this

couldn't do this

can't do this

Related Comparisons

What Our Customers Are Saying