or we will/would .

Question

I'm wondering whether "will" or "would" should be used in the following, and why:

Our water has frozen. We should heat it, or we will/would have nothing to drink.

When we go shopping, we have to carry our IDs, or the police will/would take us to the police office.

Kate Bunting · Accepted Answer · 2021-03-08 13:52:04Z

1

These are facts - if you don't melt some ice you will have nothing to drink. In your country, if you don't carry your ID you will be arrested.

However, they could be turned into hypothetical statements.

If we were to leave the water frozen we would have nothing to drink.

If we were to go out without our IDs the police would arrest us.

answered Mar 8, 2021 at 13:52

Kate Bunting

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Are you suggesting both options are possible in the OP?
– Apollyon
Commented Mar 8, 2021 at 13:57
No - the way you have written the sentences, they are statements of fact, not conditionals. If you wanted to use 'would', you would have to turn the sentences into conditionals.
– Kate Bunting
Commented Mar 8, 2021 at 14:01
How about "I had to defend myself, or else he’d have killed me"?
– Apollyon
Commented Mar 8, 2021 at 14:03
"...or else he would have killed me" - or else implies if I had not defended myself.
– Kate Bunting
Commented Mar 8, 2021 at 14:06
Could the "else" be omitted?
– Apollyon
Commented Mar 8, 2021 at 14:09

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