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In the following sentence, does "could" refer to possibility or ability?

If he had studied harder, he could have passed the exam.

Apollyon
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  • Yes, to both... – gotube Oct 13 '21 at 04:19
  • Do you see the difference as significant? – Apollyon Oct 13 '21 at 04:21
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    No. I can't even invent an unnatural sceneario where it would be important – gotube Oct 13 '21 at 04:34
  • I suspect the difference is parallel to "He can pass the exam" vs. 'It is possible for him to pass the exam." The second is merely about a possibility, whereas the first conveys more confidence. – Apollyon Oct 13 '21 at 04:37
  • And if it's possible, it can only mean he has the ability to pass it. There's not getting one without the other unless you include cheating or divine intervention, but in your example, "If he had studied harder" eliminates those as possibilities. – gotube Oct 14 '21 at 01:22
  • If someone has a 30% chance of passing an exam, it is still possible for him to pass it. But if someone can pass the exam, the likelihood is much higher than that, isn't it? – Apollyon Oct 14 '21 at 01:44
  • No. If someone has a 30% chance to pass the exam, it necessarily means they can pass the exam. They're not different things – gotube Oct 14 '21 at 03:10
  • Interesting. Consider this scenario. If someone told you, "John can pass the exam. Don't worry" but when the results came out, you learned that he actually failed, would you think the person made a wrong prediction or was accurate? – Apollyon Oct 14 '21 at 03:28
  • If you thought the person made a wrong prediction, he could quibble this way: "My statement was accurate. 'He can pass the exam" means 'it is possible for him to pass the exam.' That left open the possibility that he would fail." – Apollyon Oct 14 '21 at 03:44
  • We're getting off topic. Your question was about "could", not "can". If someone said, "John *could* pass the exam", I would 100% understand that as "it's possible". – gotube Oct 14 '21 at 19:44
  • The two meanings of "could have Vpp," i.e. the ability and the possibility readings, are exactly the same as the two meanings of "can V." Why are you saying it's off-topic? Anyway, if "John could pass the exam" is 100% taken by you as the possibility-related reading, why didn't you have the same judgment on "John could have passed the exam." – Apollyon Oct 15 '21 at 01:00

1 Answers1

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It makes no difference.

He could have passed, with harder study.
He would have been able to pass, with harder study.

He didn't study hard, so he was not able to pass.
He didn't study hard, so it was not possible for him to pass.

Jack O'Flaherty
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  • Do you perceive any difference between "he would have been able to pass the exam, with harder study" and "it would have been possible for him to pass the exam, with harder study"? – Apollyon Oct 13 '21 at 03:22
  • No. Both are way wordier than needed, but "with harder study" cements the same meaning. – Jack O'Flaherty Oct 13 '21 at 03:28
  • I suspect "he would have been able to pass the exam" suggests a greater likelihood than "It would have been possible for him to pass the exam" does. – Apollyon Oct 13 '21 at 04:11