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14 MODAL You use could not or couldn't with comparatives to emphasize that someone or something has as much as is possible of a particular quality. For example, if you say 'I couldn't be happier', you mean that you are extremely happy. [EMPHASIS ] □  The rest of the players are a great bunch of lads and I couldn't be happier. □  The news couldn't have come at a better time.

15 MODAL In speech, you use how could in questions to emphasize that you feel strongly about something bad that has happened. [EMPHASIS ] □  How could you allow him to do something like that? □  How could she do this to me?

16could do with → see do ➋

couldn't /kʊ d ^ə nt/ Couldn't is the usual spoken form of 'could not'.

could've /kʊdəv/ Could've is the usual spoken form of 'could have', when 'have' is an auxiliary verb.

coun|cil ◆◆◆ /kaʊ ns ^ə l/ (councils )

1 N‑COUNT A council is a group of people who are elected to govern a local area such as a city or, in Britain, a county. □  …Cheshire County Council. □  The city council has voted almost unanimously in favour. □  …David Ward, one of just two Liberal Democrats on the council.

2 ADJ [ADJ n] Council houses or flats are owned by the local council, and people pay rent to live in them. [BRIT ] □  There is a shortage of council housing.

3 N‑COUNT [with sing or pl verb, usu in names] Council is used in the names of some organizations. □  …the National Council for Civil Liberties. □  …community health councils.

4 N‑COUNT [with sing or pl verb, usu sing] In some organizations, the council is the group of people that controls or governs it. □ [+ of ] He was a member of the council of the Royal Northern College of Music.

5 N‑COUNT A council is a specially organized, formal meeting that is attended by a particular group of people. □ [+ of ] The President said he would call a grand council of all Afghans. COLLOCATIONS council NOUN 1

noun + council : city, county, district, town

adjective + council : governing, local, regional

verb + council : contact, elect SYNONYMS council NOUN 4

committee:…an elected Management Committee who serve the Association on a voluntary basis.

board:…the agenda for the September 12 board meeting.

panel:The advisory panel disagreed with the decision.

quango:Powers have been transferred to a wide variety of new quangos.

cou n|cil hou se (council houses ) N‑COUNT In Britain, a council house is a house that is owned by a local council and that people can rent at a low cost.

coun|cil|lor /kaʊ nsələ ^r / (councillors ) in AM, use councilor N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE A councillor is a member of a local council. □  …Councillor Michael Poulter.

council|man /kaʊ ns ^ə lmən/ (councilmen ) N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE A councilman is a man who is a member of a local council. [AM ] □  …a city councilman. in BRIT, use councillor

cou n|cil of wa r (councils of war ) N‑COUNT A council of war is a meeting that is held in order to decide how a particular threat or emergency should be dealt with. [FORMAL ]

cou n|cil tax N‑UNCOUNT [oft the N ] In Britain, council tax is a tax that you pay to your local authority in order to pay for local services such as schools, libraries, and rubbish collection. The amount of council tax that you pay depends on the value of the house or flat where you live.

coun|cil|woman /kaʊ ns ^ə lwʊmən/ (councilwomen ) N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE A councilwoman is a woman who is a member of a local council. [AM ] □  …Councilwoman Johnson. in BRIT, use councillor