He tried, but ___ persuade nobody. ?
Explanation
Looking at the options:
A) "could" suggests potential or ability in the past. The sentence would imply that he attempted to persuade but did not have the ability to do so, aligning well with the context of the sentence.
B) "couldn't" indicates an inability, but it alters the sentence to suggest that he was completely incapable of persuading anyone at all, which doesn’t fit as well with the implication that he tried.
C) "can" refers to present ability and doesn’t mesh well with the past tense of "tried."
D) "might" conveys possibility, but isn't suitable here, as it doesn't express any effort or action taken.
Thus, option A ("could") is the best choice, as it appropriately captures the sense of trying and failing to persuade, preserving the meaning of the original sentence.
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