Episode 27: Could You Help Me?

could: requests & past ability – Harriet Tubman, Underground Railroad (A1-A2)

Grammar Box

Meaning: Could has two uses: making polite requests (softer than can) and talking about past ability (what we were able to do before).

Form: could + base verb (Could you…? | I/you/he/she/it/we/they could + verb)

Example 1: Could you help me, please? (polite request)

Example 2: I could swim when I was young. (past ability)

Common mistake: Wrong: Could you to wait? Better: Could you wait?

The Question

Luna was too shy to ask her neighbor for help. “How can I be more polite?” she wondered. The watch began to glow. Professor Wisdom appeared. “Let’s meet a woman who asked the bravest questions of all.”

The Journey

Maryland, USA. 1850s. Night fell over the forest. A small woman moved quietly through the trees. Her name was Harriet Tubman. She was 30 years old. She was born a slave. For years, she couldn’t choose her own life. But she escaped. She found freedom. Now she came back. Again and again. She helped others escape too.

This moment mattered. Slavery was the law. Helping slaves escape was a crime. Slave hunters searched everywhere. One mistake meant death. But Harriet didn’t stop. People called her “Moses.” She made 19 trips. She saved about 70 people. She never lost a single person.

The journey was terrifying. Harriet walked to a small house. She knocked softly. An old man opened the door. His hands shook. Harriet spoke gently. “Could you help us?” she asked. “We need food and a place to hide.” The man looked scared. Helping was dangerous. But Harriet’s eyes were kind. “Could you keep us safe tonight?” she asked again. The man nodded slowly. He couldn’t say no to courage. The smell of bread filled the room. Seven tired people rested. They were one step closer to freedom.

Harriet never demanded. She always asked. Her polite words saved lives.

The Insight

“Did you notice?” Professor Wisdom said. “Harriet asked ‘Could you help us?’ Not ‘Can you help us?’ ‘Could’ is more polite. It’s softer. It shows respect. We also use ‘could’ to talk about past ability. Harriet ‘couldn’t’ choose her life before. But after freedom, she ‘could’ help others.”

“Could” has two faces. One asks politely. One talks about the past. Both show gentle power.

Practice Zone

More Examples:

1. “Could you open the window, please?” – polite request
2. “When I was five, I could count to 100.” – past ability
3. “Could you tell me the time?” – asking nicely
4. “She could run very fast as a child.” – past skill
5. “Could I ask you a question?” – very polite
6. “They couldn’t swim last year, but now they can.” – comparing past and present

Exercises:

1. Fill in the blank: “_____ you help me with this heavy box?” (Could/Can – choose the more polite one)

2. Choose the correct:
   a) Could you to wait here?
   b) Could you wait here?

3. Past or polite request? Mark each sentence:
   – “I could speak French when I lived in Paris.” ___
   – “Could you close the door?” ___
   – “Could she dance well as a teenager?” ___

4. Complete: “When I was younger, I could _, but I couldn’t ___.”

5. Your turn: You need help from a stranger. Write a polite question using “could.”

Answer Key:

1. Could (more polite than “Can”)
2. b) Could you wait here? (No “to” after “could”)
3. Past ability / Polite request / Past ability
4. Example: “When I was younger, I could climb trees easily, but I couldn’t swim.”
5. Check: Did you start with “Could you…?” or “Could I…?” Example: “Could you tell me where the library is?”

The Lesson

Luna understood. “Being polite opens doors.” Professor Wisdom smiled. “Yes. Harriet knew that. Gentle words can be the strongest power. Remember that.”