Which is better , could or can?
Ｍy friend wants to study Japanese if she had a time in her future.
Now She has not enought time to study ,because She is very busy to take care of her 1 old year baby.
In that situation,
Could I say both ① and ② below?
①If you would start to study Japanese,I can help you.
②If you would start to study Japanese,I could help you.
Which is better to use "could" or "can"?
I have a confidence and I am pretty sure to teach her Japanese, so I want to say①.
But In the case that I have alreday said "If you would start to study Japanese" , i.e. she is not sure to start English now.
Therefore Is it better to say② in this situation?
or Could I say both?
回答
I would use “I could help you” because you are starting the sentence with “If you would.”
Alternatively, you can say:
* If you want to learn Japanese, I can help you.
* When you start learning Japanese, I can help you.
I would use “learn” and not “study.” Most people want to learn languages. Only linguists and scholars want to study them. I actually like the word “practice” best. If you agree, please change “learn” to “practice.”