Ok in lessons 9.5 and 9.11 it is explained that querer changes to try/refuse in the past tense and poder changes to managed/failed in the past tense, but it is not noted that just like in English they can surely mean both depending on context? I'd like this cleared up.
Let's look at these two sentences, the first is from the dialogue.
Quise comprar los boletos pero como no pude tuve que encontrar otra manera de entrar.
this implies he tried but failed to buy tickets so had to find another way to enter so quise can be translated as either wanted to or tried and pude and can be translated as couldn't or failed.
quise ir al concierto pero no pude porque tuve que ir a la fiesta de mi hermano
this implies he simply wanted to go but it does not imply that he tried, it more implies that he wanted to but he didn't try (so couldn't fail) because he had to do something else more important.
In this sense quise can only be translated as wanted to and pude can only be translated as couldn't.
if i'm correct about this, is it not just basically the difference between the inability to do something and the lack of opportunity for doing something, which will change will of course context. If so, is it not a bit misleading to say they always change meaning in the preterite tense?
Let's look at these two sentences, the first is from the dialogue.
Quise comprar los boletos pero como no pude tuve que encontrar otra manera de entrar.
this implies he tried but failed to buy tickets so had to find another way to enter so quise can be translated as either wanted to or tried and pude and can be translated as couldn't or failed.
quise ir al concierto pero no pude porque tuve que ir a la fiesta de mi hermano
this implies he simply wanted to go but it does not imply that he tried, it more implies that he wanted to but he didn't try (so couldn't fail) because he had to do something else more important.
In this sense quise can only be translated as wanted to and pude can only be translated as couldn't.
if i'm correct about this, is it not just basically the difference between the inability to do something and the lack of opportunity for doing something, which will change will of course context. If so, is it not a bit misleading to say they always change meaning in the preterite tense?