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What is the diference? Is either of them wrong? Hi everyone, I’d like to ask if there is some difference between those two sentences. Without your money, I would not be able to buy a new bicycle. Without your money, I could not buy a new bicycle. By the way, the former is the model answer in the textbook. I wondered why the latter sentence is not the answer. Thanks in advance!

Corrections · 3

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What is the difference? Is either of them wrong?

Hi everyone.*  I’d like to ask if there is some difference between these two sentences.

Without your money, I would not be able to buy a new bicycle.

Without your money, I could not buy a new bicycle.

By the way, the former is the model answer in a** textbook. I wondered why the latter sentence is not the answer.

Thanks in advance!

* It's probably better to start a new sentence here. I know you are mimicking the style of letter openings in English, and in any informal context that is OK, so this is not a big issue. 

** We don't have only one textbook, or know which book you mean, so probably "a" is better here.

On your question, it's worth remembering that there are many OK or "correct" ways to write all sorts of things in English. It's rare that there is only one "right answer".  Your alternative sentence seems just as good as the original answer, to me. And it has the same meaning. I'm sure you have access to good resources, but it might be worth your while to have a look at this link : https://english-the-easy-way.com/English_ESL/Could_English_Verb.htm

Or maybe this one might help more :  https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2013/07/01/can-or-could/

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Hi Renan, Thanks for your answer. I understood what you mean. Yuri
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Well, on my understanding, the former sentence means that you bought the new bicycle and it was only possible because of "your money". The latter sentence means that you didn't have the other person's money, so you didn't buy the new bicycle.

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