"I would have cooked for you." vs "I could have cooked for you."

Question

"I would have cooked for you." vs "I could have cooked for you."

Both phrases are correct, but they convey slightly different meanings. 'I could have cooked for you' implies the ability or possibility to cook for someone in the past, while 'I would have cooked for you' suggests the willingness or intention to cook for someone in the past.

Last Updated: March 22, 2024

This phrase is used to express the willingness or intention to have cooked for someone in the past.

Examples:

I would have cooked for you if I had known you were coming.
She would have cooked for you last night, but she was too tired.
They would have cooked for you if they had been asked.
He would have cooked for you if he had the time.
We would have cooked for you if we had been home.

Alternatives:

I was willing to cook for you.
I intended to cook for you.
I wanted to cook for you.
I was prepared to cook for you.
I was ready to cook for you.

This phrase is used to express the ability or possibility to have cooked for someone in the past.

Examples:

I could have cooked for you if you had told me earlier.
She could have cooked for you last night, but she was busy.
They could have cooked for you if they had the ingredients.
He could have cooked for you if he had known you were coming.
We could have cooked for you if we had more time.

Alternatives:

I was able to cook for you.
I had the ability to cook for you.
I had the possibility to cook for you.
I might have cooked for you.
I should have cooked for you.

Answer 1

I would have cooked for you.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

Answer 2

I could have cooked for you.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"I would have cooked for you." vs "I could have cooked for you."

I would have cooked for you.

I could have cooked for you.

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