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Look at this sentence, please

My dog didn't let us catch him

I do understand that sentence but some people would say it like that

My dog wouldn't let us catch him

Why is that? Why do we use would here? It's something what happens only once and in the past. Please, provide some explanation.

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    Would not can have the sense of refused to. In this context there isn't much of a difference, but compare 'He didn't go for a walk with us' and 'He wouldn't go for a walk with us'. Commented Nov 19, 2023 at 16:17
  • @KateBunting Yes, and the will one can mean refuse in the present tense. The point is will and would here are not the same tense. There are no conditionals here or any other meaning for would, prima facie.
    – Lambie
    Commented Nov 20, 2023 at 17:08
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    @Lambie - The question asks about didn't and wouldn't, not will. Commented Nov 20, 2023 at 19:59
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    As I told you in my original comment, did not simply states that it didn't happen, would not that someone deliberately refused to do something. This has nothing to do with using would to mean habitually did. Commented Nov 21, 2023 at 11:53
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    In your example, "wouldn't" implies that the dog had no desire to let itself be caught, while didn't does not. "Wouldn't" has several possible meanings in English. For this particular context, the OED has this definition: "In negative contexts, expressing lack of desire or refusal: to have no desire for, not wish for, not want (often with the implication of refusing or declining something)."
    – Billy Kerr
    Commented Nov 21, 2023 at 14:41

3 Answers 3

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The function here of "would" is to describe something that happened over a span of time in the past, rather than a one-time event.

While this event was brief --maybe a few minutes, rather than prolonged over years-- it's a long enough span of time to use "would" with this function.

This is in contrast with the similar structure [ "used to" + base form ], which can only be used to describe behaviours or situations far in the past and over a significant period of time.

You may have learned that "would" and "used to" have the same meaning when describing past behaviour, but this is not true. There is a lot of overlap, but this example with the dog is one where the behaviour is repeated enough to use "would", but not over enough time to use "used to".

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  • Not a span of time. Habitually: My little brother would never eat his vegetables.
    – Lambie
    Commented Nov 22, 2023 at 18:08
  • @Lambie ???? "Never" indicates a span of time.
    – gotube
    Commented Nov 23, 2023 at 1:05
  • Yes, not eating vegetables can have happened many separate times without indicating a span of time per se.
    – Lambie
    Commented Nov 23, 2023 at 16:16
  • @Lambie What's that got to do with my answer, which is restricted to the context of a dog refusing to be caught during some span of time?
    – gotube
    Commented Dec 5, 2023 at 23:25
  • You said: "The function here of "would" is to describe something that happened over a span of time in the past, rather than a one-time event." And I am saying it is not necessarily a span of time but rather many separate times in the past.
    – Lambie
    Commented Dec 6, 2023 at 4:36
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The dog evaded your attempts to catch him. That's what would signifies, practically speaking. Your dog "willfully" evaded your attempts to catch him.

Without context, one would not know if your dog was a frequent escapee, but that might be a reasonable assumption, lacking context, when one encounters the sentence "My dog would not let me catch him." in isolation. Another reasonable assumption would be that you are describing a single incident. would fits either scenario.

When my dog was a puppy, he was very disobedient and would not let me put a leash on him. He would always run away and would not let me catch him.

Last Friday around lunch-time, my dog escaped and kept running away as I approached him. He would not let me catch him.

Whether it is part of a single incident or multiple incidents is not relevant. would works for both scenarios. What is relevant to both scenarios is the canine's "willful" evasion. Willful evasion involves more than one evasive maneuver or some kind of continuous evasive activity. Similarly, when we say of a frozen fastener that "it will not budge" or "it would not budge" there are either multiple attempts to unfreeze it or an extended exertion of pressure on the tool. That is what justifies the use of "will" (past tense "would") in such contexts: the resistance of the thing to bend to your will, and so there is an implication that it has "a will of its own".

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  • No, would is not a single incident in that dog was a puppy thing. It specifically would mean more than once.
    – Lambie
    Commented Nov 23, 2023 at 16:18
  • @Lambie: The puppy example was offered as an example of the "more than once" scenario; read the sentence immediately prior, which refers to "either scenario".
    – TimR
    Commented Nov 24, 2023 at 11:27
  • I don't think it is used for a single incident.
    – Lambie
    Commented Nov 24, 2023 at 17:46
  • There is no context so there is no way to tell much of anything. Look, the dog will not let me catch him! [right now] Oh boy, yesterday my dog would not let me catch him. Past tense of will. I think the willfulness thing just confuses the issue...
    – Lambie
    Commented Nov 24, 2023 at 18:18
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Present tense: My dog will not let us catch him. [when he runs off]. A generality.
Past tense: My dog would not let us catch him.
[when he ran off yesterday] [past tense of will: would, a generality in the past]
Past tense: My dog didn't let us catch him. [last time we played, for example]

They are just two different sentences.

Here, would can be the past tense of will.

When to use will or would The word will is an auxiliary verb (helping verb) and a modal verb. It is commonly used together with other verbs to express expectations, determinations, capabilities, and several other meanings. For example:

My pug will eat anything if you let her. The forecast said it will rain tomorrow.
Typically, a snake will shed its skin several times during its life.

Will is also used with every verb to form the future

tense, as in I will go to the beach tomorrow.

The word would is the past tense form of will. In general, it is used in all the same senses of will to express that something occurred in the past. habitually.

For example:

My grandparents claimed they would walk ten miles to get to school.
When I worked as a mascot, kids would always be happy to see me.
During her time as a food critic, she would visit many fancy restaurants.

would versus will

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  • But , do we they mean the same or not? Commented Nov 19, 2023 at 21:21
  • No, of course they do not "mean" the same thing. Do these mean the same thing: I walk my dog every day. I walked my dog yesterday. One is in general and the other was yesterday. Same as in your question: One is present and the other is past. would is also used in conditional sentences, which is not the case here.||downvoter: tsk, tsk, tsk.
    – Lambie
    Commented Nov 20, 2023 at 16:10
  • Oh please stop with the dv's. Provide your own answer.
    – Lambie
    Commented Nov 20, 2023 at 22:31
  • @train bee 282 My dog will not let us catch him when he runs off. [a generality]. My dog would not let us catch him. [last night, when he ran off]. One time, specific.
    – Lambie
    Commented Nov 20, 2023 at 22:49
  • No DV from me but I think the way the answer is formatted makes the examples less clear. Why is the example with did not emphasised?
    – Mari-Lou A
    Commented Nov 21, 2023 at 9:40

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