Would, Could 的用法 ?

1. I could have cats 可以譯為 "我原本有貓的" 嗎 ?
(但因某些原因, 引致實在沒有)

I could have ( some cats/a cat).
Analysis:
1) You are expecting to have some cats, but the possibility is low.
2) To talk about the past
A: Could you keep pets when you were in Japan?
B: Yes, I could. I could have (some cats/a cat).
( B was able to keep pets. Maybe he/she did not do so.)
There is a chance that B did have some cats/a cat when he was in Japan. In the short convo, B didn't mention it.
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我原本可以有貓的(但因某些原因, 引致實在沒有)
I could HAVE HAD some cats/a cat. ( We call this " modal perfect".)
modal + perfect + verb
The seals must have eaten all the fish while I was gone.
Here is a website for you-http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwesl/issue1/modalfrm.htm
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2. It is freezing out here. Would you come back inside ?
Would 可以用其它字 (eg. will, can, could)代替嗎 ?

Could and would <--------- better choices ( It is a polite way of asking people to do something.)
Will and can <-------- can be used in the question, but it is not quite polite.
3. When I was eight, ("and" is not needed here) I wouldn't let my sister have my thermos.
句中 wouldn't 可以用 didn't 代替嗎 ?
Yes, you may. They carry different meanings tho.
I wouldn't let my sister have........( It means not only for once, in the old days you never let her have ...........)
I did not let my sister have ........ ( It may mean you didn't let her have that thing at that time.)

4. Daddy, why would I sleep with Billy ? His father tried to put
you out of business !
句中 would 可以用 did 代替嗎 ?
No, you cannot.
Why did I sleep with Billy? = It means you DID sleep with Billy.
Why did you have to do that?
Why would I sleep with Billy?= You have NEVER slept with Billy.
You are only saying that you would not sleep with Billy.
I won't sleep with Billy. ( confirmed)=/= I wouldn't sleep with Billy.(有保留)
Native English speakers tend to use the sentence on the right
because they are so used to this kind of talk and they have reservations
about their own words.

1.得
2.could唔得,,因為could系can過去式
3.可以
4.可以

其實would基本上好多地方都用得,,佢只系比人禮物d ge感覺
你唔使太過care 呢個字

2009-07-17 16:53:50 補充：
禮貌,,唔系禮物xd