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Is "can't" or "couldn't" apt in "I told him I couldn't do it anymore because I'm old now"?

English Language & Usage Asked by Difference on April 19, 2021

The following is a narration of something that had happened in the past.

My friend says to me, "What did you tell him yesterday?" In reply, I
said, "I told him that I could do it when I was young and that I
couldn’t do it anymore because I’m old now."

Since I’m talking about something that I said in the past, I changed "can" to "could". Still, I’m unsure if I should change "couldn’t" to "can". Should I keep "couldn’t", and should it be "I was old" because it’s something I said in the past?

I read the other threads they’re different from my question.

One Answer

Since the whole exchange being referenced is in the past, "couldn't" is the way to go. In terms of being old, you presumably are currently old, so "because I'm old now" is fine.

Answered by PephenKinD on April 19, 2021

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