Difference between revisions of "Would"
From Creolista!
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| − | ''Would'' is a modal verb. As such, it is invariable, there is no other form of ''would''. Historically it is the past tense of ''will'' and acts as such in reported speech | + | ''Would'' is a modal verb. As such, it is invariable, there is no other form of ''would''. Historically it is the [https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=would past tense of ''will''] and it still acts as such in reported speech: |
| + | It is pronounced /<span style="color:#050;font-weight:bold;">wʊd</span>/, the l is not pronounced. | ||
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| + | ==Reported speech (marks the "future in the past")== | ||
:::<u>3:00pm: boss meeting</u> | :::<u>3:00pm: boss meeting</u> | ||
:<span style="font-variant:small-caps;font-weight:bold;color:#307;">Barbara</span>: Could you tell Liz that I won't be here for the dinner tonight, my flight is leaving at 8. | :<span style="font-variant:small-caps;font-weight:bold;color:#307;">Barbara</span>: Could you tell Liz that I won't be here for the dinner tonight, my flight is leaving at 8. | ||
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:::<u>4:00pm: Melissa runs into Liz at the coffee machine</u> | :::<u>4:00pm: Melissa runs into Liz at the coffee machine</u> | ||
| − | :<span style="font-variant:small-caps;font-weight:bold;color:#307;">Melissa</span>: Hi Liz... hey before I forget... Barbara asked me to tell you | + | :<span style="font-variant:small-caps;font-weight:bold;color:#307;">Melissa</span>: Hi Liz... hey... before I forget... Barbara asked me to tell you she <span style="font-variant:small-caps;font-weight:bold;color:#037;">would</span>n't be here for the dinner tonight because her flight <u>was</u> leaving at 8. |
:<span style="font-variant:small-caps;font-weight:bold;color:#307;">Liz</span>: Wow, you can still get flights out of New York? I hope she makes it back safely. | :<span style="font-variant:small-caps;font-weight:bold;color:#307;">Liz</span>: Wow, you can still get flights out of New York? I hope she makes it back safely. | ||
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| + | ==Politeness== | ||
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| + | ''Would'' is often used to make a polite offer. Compare: | ||
| + | |||
| + | *Do you want a coffee? (It's always nice when someone offers you a coffee, but... | ||
| + | *<u>Would</u> you like (some/a) coffee? is even nicer! (a coffee) = from a machine, (some coffee) = brewed in coffeepot | ||
| + | |||
| + | :Would you be willing to work weekends in August? I promise the air conditioner will be working. | ||
| + | |||
| + | This politeness is called "modal distancing". It's a bit like social distancing for language. It makes it a little easier for the other person to say "no" without feeling bad. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Habitual past activities== | ||
| + | ''would'' can be synonymous with "used to". | ||
| + | :When I was a kid, I used to ride my bike everywhere. These days, not so much. | ||
| + | :When I was a kid, I would ride my bike everywhere. These days, not so much. | ||
| + | |||
| + | One key difference is that ''would'' can only be used to talk about ''activities'', or repeated ''events'', not about ''states''. | ||
| + | |||
| + | :She would invariably arrive 20 minutes late at least once a week because of regular train strikes. | ||
| + | :They would come over for dinner once a month when we lived in Seattle. They would often end up spending the night in our guest room. | ||
| + | :<s style="color:#999;">I would know them pretty well when we lived in Seattle.</s> | ||
| + | :I used to know them pretty well when we lived in Seattle. | ||
Revision as of 19:10, 15 April 2020
Would is a modal verb. As such, it is invariable, there is no other form of would. Historically it is the past tense of will and it still acts as such in reported speech:
It is pronounced /wʊd/, the l is not pronounced.
Reported speech (marks the "future in the past")
- 3:00pm: boss meeting
- Barbara: Could you tell Liz that I won't be here for the dinner tonight, my flight is leaving at 8.
- Melissa: Sure, I am seeing her this afternoon.
- 4:00pm: Melissa runs into Liz at the coffee machine
- Melissa: Hi Liz... hey... before I forget... Barbara asked me to tell you she wouldn't be here for the dinner tonight because her flight was leaving at 8.
- Liz: Wow, you can still get flights out of New York? I hope she makes it back safely.
Politeness
Would is often used to make a polite offer. Compare:
- Do you want a coffee? (It's always nice when someone offers you a coffee, but...
- Would you like (some/a) coffee? is even nicer! (a coffee) = from a machine, (some coffee) = brewed in coffeepot
- Would you be willing to work weekends in August? I promise the air conditioner will be working.
This politeness is called "modal distancing". It's a bit like social distancing for language. It makes it a little easier for the other person to say "no" without feeling bad.
Habitual past activities
would can be synonymous with "used to".
- When I was a kid, I used to ride my bike everywhere. These days, not so much.
- When I was a kid, I would ride my bike everywhere. These days, not so much.
One key difference is that would can only be used to talk about activities, or repeated events, not about states.
- She would invariably arrive 20 minutes late at least once a week because of regular train strikes.
- They would come over for dinner once a month when we lived in Seattle. They would often end up spending the night in our guest room.
I would know them pretty well when we lived in Seattle.- I used to know them pretty well when we lived in Seattle.
