meaning - "I can't seem to" vs "I can't"


I am wondering why would someone say "I can't seem to" instead of simply saying "I can't". Is there any specific difference between the two? Is the former usage informal? Is it correct to say that the following two phrases are equivalent?



I can't seem to do something.
It seems that I can't do something.



Some sample sentences:



I can’t seem to subscribe to a Google Reader ‘starred items’ feed that I’ve created.
I can't seem to stop arguing with my partner.
I can't seem to make friends.
I can't seem to transfer my videos directly from one playlist to another.
Client: I can’t seem to find the search box, can you please make sure it’s working? Me: The search box is in the top left hand corner of every page. Client: Is that on your left or my left?




Answer



The use of seem to is usually a hedge, or a softener. The examples above are suggesting that the person feels they should be able to do something but cannot find the right way to do it successfully. The same person wouldn't say, "I can't seem to speak Korean" because they have no reasonable expectation that they should be able to speak Korean.


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