Din SECRETELE lui ”would”

Please notice that:  the main verb can be in the form of past participle or verb plus ing:

have + past participle:  They would have arrived…

be + Verb + -ing   They would be going…

A secret: Don’t use  to + infinitive after ‘would’.

We cannot say: I would to like a cup of coffee.

Attention! The verbs ‘would’ and ‘had’ have the short form ‘d:

He‘d started the lesson = He had started the lesson

I‘d like some tea = I would like some tea.

We use would to:

1. talk about something in the past
2. talk about the future in the past
3. express the conditional mood
4. express desire, polite requests and questions, opinion, hope, wish and regret

Now + examples

1. talk about something in the past

would =  past tense of will or going to:

• As a young girl, I knew that I would have a family and a career.
• We supposed it would snow so we took the warm clothes.

reported speech:

• The teacher said that she would give us a test. Direct speech: ‘I will give you a test.’
• Why didn’t you take the car? I told you it would a long day! (‘It’s going to be a long day.’)

would  for past refusals:

• He wanted the project but his team leader would not agree.
• Yesterday, the riding mower wouldn’t start.

would for habitual past behaviour (but active, dynamic verbs, not stative):

• Every day I would go to school by bike, now I take the car to go to work.
• Every winter we‘d go outside a lot, now we prefer staying in front of the TV having some hot tea.

2. would for the future in the past

we  express something that was a future action for that moment in the past:

• In that autumn, he met the woman that he would marry one day.
• I told him that I would finish the book.

3. would to express conditionals

for the second and third conditionals:

• If I had time, I would go to the cinema, mall or theatre.
• If I had earned a lot of money, I would have bought that apartment.

would to give advice  – in the same way as the conditional:

• I wouldn’t say that if I were you.
• If I were in your place I‘d go to the doctor.

Or without „if”

• Someone who knew him better would probably trust him.

Would without the main verb because it is understood :

• I‘d like to be there with you.
• I wish you would. (would be)
• Do you think he‘d help me?
• I’m sure he would. (would help)

would for desire

• I‘d love to lay in the sun.
• Would you like some tea?

would for polite requests and questions

• Would you close that window, please?

would for opinion or hope

• I would imagine that he’ll pass that exam.
• I suppose they would call it a nonsense.
• I would have to say yes.
• I would expect her to succeed.

would for wish

• I wish you would come.

would for presumption / expectation

• That would be Sam knocking.
• I heard your kids singing yesterday Really? They would have been practising for the concert.

would for uncertainty

• Grandpa would seem to be getting better.

Sometimes, in a poetic way, „would that” expresses  regret, it is synonym with „if only”

• Would that she loved me! (If only she loved me! I wish that she loved me!)