Here's how "can" and "could" work:
* Can: Expresses ability or possibility in the present tense.
* Example: "I can swim."
* Could: Expresses ability or possibility in the past tense or as a polite request.
* Example: "I could swim when I was younger." or "Could you please pass the salt?"
While "could" is the past participle of "can," it doesn't often appear in a sentence structure that would normally use a past participle (like with "have" or "be").