I thought you were going to ask your boss if you can/could get off work early/earlier

[B45]

I thought you were going to ask your boss if you can/could get off work early/earlier today.

Please pick the correct words for me.

Thank you.

 

[Raymott]

You could use any of the four possible combinations.
I'd use 'could' and 'early'.

 

[B45]

You could use any of the four possible combinations.
I'd use 'could' and 'early'.

Even this:

I thought you were going to ask your boss if you could get off work earlier today.

 

[bhaisahab]

Yes.

 

[emsr2d2]

"Earlier today", for me, is such a standard collocation that I would assume it meant "I thought you were going to ask your boss (earlier today) if you could get off work" referring to the time of the question.

I would use "I thought you were going to ask your boss if you could get off work early today".