Where is the verb “can” in a mentioned sentence?
Will happiness produce pain?
The above sentence is not meant to mean the past time. As a past with a potential one, “Could”, and not the potential for future. Why “can” is preferred in sentence?
On the other hand, the sentence is meant to ask whether there are possible conditions under which happiness bring pain. Does happiness bring pain? How can happiness be beneficial to a person? Is “could” better than “should” in future?
What is in the minds of an inexperienced man?
Can and could are both fine here, though I would recommend adding ever to clarify the intended meaning (unless other context already makes that clear):
- “Can happiness ever bring pain? Will
- happiness bring pain? “The
difference between the two is that can seems to be asking about whether it ever really happens, whereas could seems to be asking about whether it could even hypothetically happen. (Neither of these is strict, however; we can say things like, on the one hand, “Is there any possible world where happiness can bring pain? “.” And, on the other hand, “Do you think that, in the average person’s life, happiness could ever bring pain? Can
joy bring pain? Does happiness bring pain?
What is it that they are not the same? For the former, I’d recommend could ; for the latter, I’d recommend can (or does ).
