[Grammar] You can imagine or you could imagine

[NAL123]

1) The finalists will present their proposals in sketchbook form late next month and early May, with the winning team to be designated shortly thereafter. The competition is being led by Bill Lacy, executive director of the Pritzker Prize and president of Purchase College of the State University of New York. The composition of the jury has not been announced, though it is expected that the final decision will be made by the developers themselves.

It is exceptional, in New York, for a private developer to go for architecture, much less to adopt the competition system as a way to get there. But there are good reasons to guard our optimism in this case.


One could imagine a more brilliant lineup. To judge from this list, it appears that the developers are trying to weigh economic factors and architectural values in the same scale. It is perilous to mix quantities with qualities. The temptation to confuse one with the other is often too great . (https://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/05/...for-a-new-river-city.html?auth=login-facebook)


2) Bake for 20-25 minutes or until pale golden and the raspberry juice is gently bubbling. Eat warm, with thick, very cold cream.


Raspberry granita
To finish, as simple a recipe as one could imagine. Fragrant, sharp and to the point. The colour shocks, the taste puckers the mouth, and its texture continues - almost - to that very last slushy slurp. (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/sep/28/recipes.foodanddrink)


3) Bobby Reynolds did not win at Wimbledon on Thursday, or did he?


The scoreboard showed the world No. 1 Novak Djokovic defeated Reynolds, 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-1, on Centre Court, and after winning three qualifying matches and a gutsy five-setter in his opening round, Reynolds’s 2013 singles campaign at the championships was over.


He lost to a better player. He won in every other way one could imagine. (https://straightsets.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/28/everything-but-the-win-for-reynolds-at-wimbledon/)

Note 1: There are more examples of "one could imagine..." here: https://ludwig.guru/s/one+could+imagine


Q1) Can I replace "could" with "can" in 1), 2) and 3) ("can" in #3 seems unlikely to me though)? In other words, what's the difference between "one/you can imagine" and "one/you could imagine"?

Q2) Is "one could imagine" equivalent to "one could've imagined" in (3)?


Note 2: I ask this because someone said "you can/can't imagine" is a set phrase and we don't normally use "could/couldn't" here:

You can imagine how angry I was! (NOT you could imagine...)
You can’t imagine what a terrible week we had. ((NOT you couldn't imagine...)

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

. . . Q1) Can I replace "could" with "can" in 1), 2) and 3)

Yes. I like could, but I don't see anything wrong with can.

("can" in #3 seems unlikely to me though)? In other words, what's the difference between "one/you can imagine" and "one/you could imagine"?

It's two letters shorter.

Q2) Is "one could imagine" equivalent to "one could've imagined" in (3)?

Yes, but I don't know why you'd bother. It's wordier, and it forces the reader to wonder: could've imagined before what?

Note 2: I ask this because someone said "you can/can't imagine" is a set phrase and we don't normally use "could/couldn't" here:

You can imagine how angry I was! (NOT you could imagine...)

Use can. You can imagine right now — not you could imagine back then.

You can’t imagine what a terrible week we had. ((NOT you couldn't imagine...)

Use can't, for the same reason. You're challenging someone to imagine your week now.

Good questions. Now let's see what the teachers here think.