Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2004

} "hpf" <hpf.fph@caramail.com> writes:
}
}> Hi,
}>
}> Can someone tell me if the parts in capital letters in the following text
}> are right or wrong?
}>
}> "Will you let me know if you want me to send you this book or if you'd
}> rather I 'LL KEEP (1) it until the next time I SEE YOU (2)?
}> Drop me a line to tell me when you WILL COME (3)."
}>
}> Instead of (1) "I 'LL KEEP", is it possible to write "I CAN/COULD KEEP" ?
}
} As it stands, it doesn't work.  It could be fixed either by changing
} "I'll keep" to "I keep" or by changing the whole thing to a statement
} and making the "if you'd rather" a parenthetical:
}
}     Let me know if you want me to send the book.  Or, if you'd rather,
}     I'll keep it until the next time I see you.
}
} In that construction, "I'll keep" can become "I can keep" or "I could
} keep" with no real change in meaning.
}
} Either "I can keep" or "I could keep" would work in the original
} question if you drop the "you'd rather".  Doing so changes from asking
} the person's preference to asking permission to keep it.

It doesn't strike you that the "question" is a test question looking for
the error, where the fourth choice is "No errors"?  I suspect that the OP
knows or was told the answer and is merely trying to understand what could
be substituted to make it right (which is "KEEP", as you suggested from
the git-go).  I suspect there is no changing of the lower-case stuff.