Can I...? (permissional or potential)

[hyperconjugated]

Wakannai wrote:
また、はじめましてね

多分

I hate not having an avatar, it's so much easier to scroll up and down until I see my pic.

edit- much better.

You lousy beatnik! Don't bring Yoko this time :D

[Wakannai]

I have no idea what you are talking about.

[hyperconjugated]

The avatar looks like Lennon :D Sort of...

[Wakannai]

I was shooting more for the starving artist. Maybe I should add a handkerchief tied around the neck.

[Chris Hart]

Doesn't really matter. Does match you UN quite well, though.

Unless you are referencing the location.

[ss]

Wakannai wrote:
I was shooting more for the starving artist. Maybe I should add a handkerchief tied around the neck.

Have you ever thought of changing your hair style? :p

[Wakannai]

That's supposed to be a beret.

Sigh, I guess I'll GIMPify the avatar a bit more. Art shouldn't require an explanation.

edit- done.

[ss]

LOL, I know.
Your hair should be very long now. ^_^

[Wakannai]

hehe, thanks for a great laugh. That had me laughing pretty hard

edit - ok, it's over an hour later and I'm still cracking up every time I see that.

[Astral Abraxas]

May I = Permissional
Can I = Potential

It's actually one of the most common mistakes native English speakers make I find. I'm even guilty of it. So when you hear: "Can I help you?" when walking into a store, presume it means "May I help you?".

"May I use your eraser for one second?"

I can't think of a good example of "Can I", they all sound weird lol.

"Can I do [ ] in this video game yet?"

[Wakannai]

please look at the post date before replying. This thread is over 4 months old, and it already has 2 pages of replies.