Question

Updated on 8 Dec 2022

Ray1210

4 Dec 2022

Japanese

English (US)

Question about English (US)

Are “could do” and “might do” same meaning?

Which is used more often in the U.S.?

Answers

ObstreperousB

4 Dec 2022

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English (US)

No, they are somewhat similar, but they have different meanings.
"He could do X" means "He is capable of doing X."
"He might do X" means "It is possible that he will do X."

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ObstreperousB

4 Dec 2022

English (US)

No, they are somewhat similar, but they have different meanings.
"He could do X" means "He is capable of doing X."
"He might do X" means "It is possible that he will do X."

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us4gi

4 Dec 2022

English (US)

>Do "could do" and "might do" mean the same thing?

If you're using them to give a suggestion, they mean essentially the same thing, but they each carry a slightly different nuance, so I wouldn't say they're 100% interchangeable even in that scenario.

As a suggestion:

could → I'm not saying you absolutely should do this, but if you wanted to do this, it's possible

might → some people actually do this, so depending on your preference of how you do things, this is an option

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Ray1210

4 Dec 2022

Japanese

@ObstreperousB Thanks for the clear answer.

Ray1210

4 Dec 2022

Japanese

@us4gi Thank you for the detailed explanation. I still found it difficult to use it intentionally at my current level. I will reflect on this topic again next month.

us4gi

4 Dec 2022

English (US)

@Ryo_kh Sounds good. Until then, find lots of examples in real life. That will teach you the difference much better than hearing me explain it. :)

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Are “could do” and “might do” same meaning?

Which is used more often in the U.S.?

Are “could do” and “might do” same meaning?Which is used more often in the U.S.? See a translation

No, they are somewhat similar, but they have different meanings."He could do X" means "He is capable of doing X.""He might do X" means "It is possible that he will do X."

No, they are somewhat similar, but they have different meanings."He could do X" means "He is capable of doing X.""He might do X" means "It is possible that he will do X."

@Ryo_kh Sounds good. Until then, find lots of examples in real life. That will teach you the difference much better than hearing me explain it. :)

Are “could do” and “might do” same meaning?

Which is used more often in the U.S.?

No, they are somewhat similar, but they have different meanings.
"He could do X" means "He is capable of doing X."
"He might do X" means "It is possible that he will do X."

No, they are somewhat similar, but they have different meanings.
"He could do X" means "He is capable of doing X."
"He might do X" means "It is possible that he will do X."