we did not do vs we could not do

Both phrases are correct, but they convey different meanings. 'We did not do' indicates that something was not done in the past, while 'we could not do' implies that there was an inability or impossibility to do something. The choice between the two depends on the context and the intended message.

Last updated: March 08, 2024 • 1210 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate that something was not done in the past.

"we did not do"

This phrase is used to express the simple fact that a particular action was not performed in the past.

Examples:

We did not do our homework yesterday.
They did not do what was expected of them.
I did not do well in the exam.

Show examples from the web [+]

3 days ago ... Jason Garrett: 'We did not do a good job' of alerting officials about time runoff during Dez ruling. Rainer Sabin Follow @RainerSabinDMN ...
Atlanta Hawks CEO: 'We did not do the right thing' repeatedly on race. By Greg Botelho, CNN. Updated 12:59 PM ET, Sun September 14, 2014. Watch this video ...
Sydney J. Harris Quotes. Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable. Sydney J. Harris ...
Ravens owner on Ray Rice: 'We did not do all we should have done'. 09/09/14 08:49 PM —Updated 09/09/14 11:22 PM. facebook twitter 2 save share group 75.

Alternatives:

We didn't do
We failed to do
We neglected to do
We omitted to do
We refrained from doing

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate the inability or impossibility to do something.

"we could not do"

This phrase is used to convey that there was a specific reason or limitation that prevented the action from being carried out.

Examples:

We could not do the project without proper resources.
They could not do anything to change the situation.
I could not do it alone.

Show examples from the web [+]

Jan 26, 2014 ... They played very well, we could not do anything but we are happy we had a good tournament, made the finals of the first Grand Slam of the ...
We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. 13. ... ourselves. BB Into Action, p.88 View INTO ACTION chapter. We do not ...
We could not do it without you! Posted on September 1, 2014 by Claudia Juestel · Healdsburg 1-640. The success of our design largely depends on good ...
for us what we could not do for ourselves. We hope you are convinced now that God can remove whatever self-will has blocked you off from Him. If you have.

Alternatives:

We were unable to do
We were incapable of doing
We were restricted from doing
We were prevented from doing
We were hindered from doing

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we did not do vs we could not do

"we did not do"

"we could not do"

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