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I've somehow learned English tenses using timelines. Something like this one:
Tenses But I'm having trouble understanding 'would'. Is there a diagram, a picture or a good explanation to simplify this. How does a teacher teach kids about this?

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I have some material that couuld help you.

Would can be used as a modal verb or in conditionals (2st conditional -> If i could, then I would... 3rd conditional -> if i had been, than I would have...). So if you search for MODAL VERBS and CONDITIONALS, i think most of your questions about "WOULD" will be answered.

Here are some images that might help you.

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Also, be careful not to confuse the past perfect HAD with WOULD in the contracted form.

I WOULD DO THE SHORES EVERY DAY -> I'D DO THE SHORES EVERY DAY

I HAD DONE THE SHORES THAT DAY -> I'D DONE THE SHORES THAT DAY

Use the context to recognize both.

If you have any question, let me know.

See you!

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    "I would do the shores every day" -- Did you mean "chores"? (Please use anything but ALL CAPS, it is shouting and difficult to read; use bold or blockquote.)
    – Nigel Touch
    Commented Mar 19, 2021 at 23:55
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Link:Learner's Dictionary You've asked a very difficult question. I know because I am a native speaker of Canadian English, but I cannot tell you why.

When I was a child the rules were different from the examples in the link. "Can I go to bed?" Would have meant, was I physically able to go to bed. I was corrected ad nauseum to say, "May I go to bed?" That means I was asking permission to go to bed. "Can I have a pencil?" Should be, "May I have a pencil?" Of course I was able to have a pencil but I may not have one because it is time for some other activity. If I could not have a pencil it would have been because there were no pencils or the pencils were in use or broken.

Best of luck with this. I look forward to better answers than mine.

LINK: Definition of would

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  • Yes, I too remember all the corrections at school for can/may. That battle seems to be lost now. But what's replaced it is even worse, with people saying "can't" where "mustn't" should be used. When making whipped cream, I was once advised "You can't beat it too much", but I proved them wrong and ended up with lumps of butter floating in watery milk.
    – Ray Butterworth
    Commented Sep 18, 2022 at 20:16

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