Summary: This post is about how to negotiate well with regard to the differences between 'can' and 'could'. You will learn how to negotiate with others by giving them more 'space', which means you are more polite.
Do you have to negotiate a lot? When firm A offers you a price, do you have to counter the offer? Or when a taxi driver negotiates fares with you, what will you say?
Well, if you want to negotiate well, you have to use ‘if’. If you want to upgrade your English, you have to use ‘if’ too. You can, in fact, use it in two ways. Which two ways? Read the two sentences:
1. If you can offer us a better price, we could consider a joint venture.
2. If you could offer us a better price, we could consider a joint venture.
What are the differences between the two? I think you’ve got it. The only difference is:
can VS could
So what? It seems like ‘could’ is the past form of ‘can’, right? Well, it is, sometimes. But not for the above two sentences. Both ‘can’ and ‘could’ here refer to something in the future, something that may happen, or something that might happen. In a word, the difference between the two is not about past and present tenses.
It is a question of politeness. (What is politeness? Look at the woman in the photo. Do you think she is polite?)
Most grammar books tell you that ‘could’ is more polite than ‘can’, right? But why? Why is ‘could’ more polite? Why is the past form of ‘can’ more polite than ‘can’? You can find the answer in the following diagram:
If can is 10m away from a person, then could is 20m away. In English, the longer the distance, the more polite it is. In other words, when you use ‘could’, you give the other more room (space), which means you are more polite.
So, when you want to be polite with your coworkers, you may say: Could you do me a favor? Could you send me a copy of the document (we discussed last night)?
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