Modal Use: Conditional Is Often Used in Situations Where A Conditional Sense Is Understood But

"Would" is most commonly used to create conditional verb forms.
It also serves as
the past form of the modal verb "will." Additionally, "would" can indicate repetition
in the past.
modal use
would
conditional Is often used in situations where a conditional sense is understood but
not stated. “nobody would agree with that idea, (if we asked them)”
1. If I were president, I would cut the cost of education.
2. If I had been president, I would have cut the cost of education.
3. If I were elected president next year, I would cut the cost of education
would
past of "will" I said I would help you.
He told me he would be here before 8:00.
would
repetition in past When I was a kid, I would always go to the beach.
When he was young, he would always do his homework.
“Would always” You would always take your surfboard with you when you went to
the beach.
USE 1 Habit in the Past
Like "used to" and Simple Past, "would always" expresses the idea that something
was an old habit which stopped in the past. It says that an action was often repeated
in the past, but it is not usually done now. Unlike "used to" and Simple Past, "would
always" suggests that someone willingly acted that way and sometimes expresses
annoyance or amusement at the habit. It also often suggests the habit was extreme. To
express the opposite idea, we can say "would never" to indicate that someone never
did something in the past, but now they do.
Would always" cannot be used to talk about past facts or generalizations. It can only
be used for repeated actions.
In addition to "would always," English speakers often use "would constantly,"
"would often," "would forever" or simply "would."
ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples:
• My mother would always make the pies. Active

• The pies would always be made by my mother. Passive
Structure of Would
subject + would + main verb
The main verb is always the bare infinitive (infinitive without "to").
Use of Would
would: Talking about the past
We often use would as a kind of past tense of will or going to:
• Even as a boy, he knew that he would succeed in life.

• I thought it would rain so I brought my umbrella.
Using would as as a kind of past tense of will or going to is common in reported

speech:
• She said that she would buy some eggs. ("I will buy some eggs.")
• The candidate said that he wouldn't increase taxes. ("I won't increase taxes.")
• Why didn't you bring your umbrella? I told you it would rain! ("It's going to
rain.")
We often use would not to talk about past refusals:
• He wanted a divorce but his wife would not agree.

• Yesterday morning, the car wouldn't start.
We sometimes use would (rather like used to) when talking about habitual past
behaviour:
• Every weekday my father would come home from work at 6pm and watch TV.
• Every summer we'd go to the seaside.
• Sometimes she'd phone me in the middle of the night.
• We would always argue. We could never agree.
would: Future in past
When talking about the past we can use would to express something that has not
happened at the time we are talking about:
• In London she met the man that she would one day marry.
• He left 5 minutes late, unaware that the delay would save his life.
would: Conditionals
We often use would to express the so-called second and third conditionals:
• If he lost his job he would have no money.

• IfI had won the lotteryI would have bought a car.
Using the same conditional structure, we often use would when giving advice:
• I wouldn't eat that if I were you.

• If I were in your place I'd refuse.
• If you asked me I would say you should go.
Sometimes the condition is "understood" and there does not have to be an "if" clause:
• Someone who liked John would probably love John's father. (If someone liked
John they would probably love John's father.)
• You'd never know it. (for example: If you met him you would never know that
he was rich.)
• Why don't you invite Mary? I'm sure she'd come.
Although there is always a main verb, sometimes it is understood (not stated) as in:
• I'd like to stay. | I wish you would. (would stay)

• Do you think he'd come? | I'm sure he would. (would come)
• Who would help us? | John would. (would help us)
would: Desire or inclination
• I'd love to live here.

• Would you like some coffee?
• What I'd really like is some tea.
would: Polite requests and questions
• Would you open the door, please? (more polite than: Open the door, please.)
• Would you go with me? (more polite than: Will you go with me?)
• Would you know the answer? (more polite than: Do you know the answer?)
• What would the capital of Nigeria be? (more polite than: What is the capital of
Nigeria?)
would: Opinion or hope
• I would imagine that they'll buy a new one.

• I suppose some people would call it torture.
• I would have to agree.
• I would expect him to come.
• Since you ask me I'd say the blue one is best.
would: Wish
• I wish you would stay. (I really want you to stay. I hope you will stay.)
• They don't like me. I'm sure they wish I'd resign.
Note that all of these uses of would express some kind of distance or remoteness:
• remoteness in time (past time)

• remoteness of possibility or probability
• remoteness between speakers (formality, politeness)
would: Presumption or expectation
• That would be Jo calling. I'll answer it.

• We saw a police helicopter overhead yesterday morning. | Really? They would
have been looking for those bank robbers.
would: Uncertainty
• He would seem to be getting better. (less certain than: He seems to be getting

better.)
• It would appear that I was wrong. (less certain than: It appears that I was
wrong.)
would: Derogatory
• They would say that, wouldn't they?

• John said he didn't steal the money. | Well, he would, wouldn't he?
would that: Regret (poetic/rare) - with clause
This rare, poetic or literary use of would does not have the normal structure:
• Would that it were true! (If only it were true! We wish that it were true!)
• Would that his mother had lived to see him become president.

Modal Use: Conditional Is Often Used in Situations Where A Conditional Sense Is Understood But

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"Would" is most commonly used to create conditional verb forms.

USE 1 Habit in the Past

• My mother would always make the pies. Active

subject + would + main verb

would: Talking about the past

We often use would as a kind of past tense of will or going to:

• Even as a boy, he knew that he would succeed in life.

Using would as as a kind of past tense of will or going to is common in reported

We often use would not to talk about past refusals:

• He wanted a divorce but his wife would not agree.

would: Future in past

• If he lost his job he would have no money.

• I wouldn't eat that if I were you.

• I'd like to stay. | I wish you would. (would stay)

would: Desire or inclination

• I'd love to live here.

would: Polite requests and questions

would: Opinion or hope

• I would imagine that they'll buy a new one.

• remoteness in time (past time)

would: Presumption or expectation

• That would be Jo calling. I'll answer it.

• He would seem to be getting better. (less certain than: He seems to be getting

• They would say that, wouldn't they?

would that: Regret (poetic/rare) - with clause

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