Questions tagged [would]
The would tag has no usage guidance.
45 questions
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amongst friends you would (or used to?) talk about
At 3:50 minutes of the video, the British girl tells the American one:
When I was at university, it was so common to just like hear it... people think British people are like prudes... I know amongst ...
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How to render the word WOULD / MUST in the Reported Speech?
I.
If I have this sentence in the direct speech:
She said: "I would like a cake."
How to change the word "would" in the reported speech? I've heard that the word "would" ...
Katakuna
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She (would)/(will) never leave me
This is a scene in a movie. A couple is talking about a man’s mother. His mother doesn’t like his girlfriend. He still loves his mother.
The girlfriend: You are a good son of your mother.
The man: ...
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"Would have been" for speculation in the past
My Student's book recommend using the construction "would have been" to speculate about the past.
For example,
I'd imagine someone like Charles Darwin would have been a
naturalistic thinker....
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Role of would in sentence [duplicate]
What is the role of "would"? I often see a native speaker using it when replying to a question.
I would understand that to be...
I would take it to mean...
I would interpret that as...
I ...
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I suppose she would be/would have been about 40 years old when she died
I suppose she would be about 40 years old when she died.
[From an English-Japanese dictionary.]
Is it possible to replace would be with would have been?
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Why is "would" used in these "why would" phrases?
Why would you do this to me?
Why would a word for red come into being before a word for blue?
What is "would's" role in this sentence? Is this some kind of broken conditional? I've also ...
Optimistic
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What's the role of "would" in this sentence? [duplicate]
Can you explain how "would" works when speaker B answers A's question?
A: Should "the" be capitalized when it is part of a title and the title cannot go without the definite ...
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would rather in the past
We have two different subjects. I want to refer to the past using "would rather". So, I have to use past perfect
I would rather you had done it when I arrived
It means that I wanted them ...
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Numerous usages of modal verb Would
At the age of thirteen, after receiving a call, she would join 'The
sisters of Charity'.
How is 'would' used here? It could have been written:
At the age of thirteen, after receiving a call, she ...
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This usage of "would"
When you wouldn't come to my graduation, I tore you from my heart and buried you forever.
This is a simplified novel of Daddy-Long-Legs. Could you teach me this usage of "would". What is ...
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Use of "would" rather than "is"
In this dialogue, Speaker B uses "would" when answering A's question. Can you explain why use "would" rather than "is?"
A: Ronaldo wore this?
Is my question idiomatic?
B:...
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What's the use of "would" in this sentence?
Here, I'm asking about the use of "would" in this dialogue. Speaker A uses "would". How does "would" work?
Q: Which preposition should be used in "at" or "...
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We’ll need about 10 bottles of wine, I would think/ I think
(1) We’ll need about 10 bottles of wine, I would think.
(2) We’ll need about 10 bottles of wine, I think.
What is the difference between them?
Does (1) sound less certain than (2)?
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It suggests vs It would suggest
In an answer of my question. The person who answered my question used "suggest"and "would suggest".
I don't know what the difference between them.
Does "would suggest" ...
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How to use would in right manner?
I'm confused on the usage of would in sentences. I've seen people using it in future sentence like, I would meet you soon or I would do it for you. Is it correct usage of would? Kindly correct me on ...
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WOULD - Typical behavior in the present tense? - LONGMAN
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English:
"11 TYPICAL BEHAVIOUR spoken used to say that an action is typical or expected – usually used to show disapproval
You would go and spoil it, ...
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Meaning of "Would never have thought"
The Englishman had been profoundly impressed by the story. But he would never have thought it more than just a myth..
I could not understand what "would never have thought" means here. Is ...
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Meaning of 'would' in this context
This is a piece of an article that I came across while reading a newspaper. 'Would' has been used many times with different meanings in this article. And I am having difficulty in decoding the ...
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WOULD LIKE TO HAVE + PP for possible accomplishments vs FUTURE PERFECT
How does "would like to have + past participle" compare with future perfect. Is future perfect something planned out and expected while "would like to have + pp" describes more of ...
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Present habits: would?
Writing a novel is like telling a big, exciting story with lots of
words. First, authors come up with cool ideas for characters and
adventures. They use their imagination to create a beginning, middle,...
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does would in this sentence refer to a past habitual action? ..... if not, what does it mean then?
State governments fund and conduct primary elections much as they would any election.
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“would have” for assumptions
If you live in a metro city, you would have seen this type of truck on street.
As you would have seen us on the channel, we always act goofy.
In these two examples, “Would have” is used. And it is ...
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You would think that someone who was in the military
Imagine that John is in the military, but he's living a totally undisciplined life. John's friend says:
(1) You would think that someone who was in the military would be more disciplined.
Now, imagine ...
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Wouldn't and wouldn't have
1 My dog wouldn't let me catch him yesterday
2 My dog wouldn't have let me catch him yesterday
What is the difference between them. I intend to say that yesterday I tried to catch it but I didn't make ...
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Is it correct to use "would" in the context provided?
Is it grammatically possible to use both "would come" and "was coming" in the context below:
Earlier, the temperature had fallen. And now clouds began moving in. I knew a storm ...
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"would be free" vs "will be free"
How should I use 'would' or 'will' in a conditional sentence about planning a meeting?
I'm trying to arrange a meeting with someone at the university tomorrow, but I'm uncertain about their ...
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'WOULD' usage for present tense when it isn't used in conditionals?
I read 'We use would (’d) / wouldn’t when we imagine a situation or action (= we think of something that is not real)' this explanation in the book English Grammar in Use on page no. 72
I hear many ...
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How does "would" work in "I would agree"? [duplicate]
In this dialogue, why does Donny say "I would agree" rather than "I agree?" How does "would" works in this context?
Telek's #1: Is there any difference between 'He snuck ...
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Would and would have
What's the difference between would and would have in the past?
He thought he would win
He thought he would have won
I know that "would" is for regular actions in the past and "would ...
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Why do we use "would" in "My dog wouldn't let us catch him" for a past event that happened only once?
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 ...
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"would" after "if" - "If you would just tell me, it would be easier for the both of us"
"If you would just tell me, it would be easier for the both of us"
Why is there "would" after "if"? It has to be an exception because normally you can't do it.
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Why is "would" used in "have to"
Why does speaker B add "would" in his response? Here is a dialogue.
A: Is it correct to say, "It would be appreciate if you can do something"?
B: For me, it would have to be, &...
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What is the use of "would" in this context
Could you explain what the use of "would" in this sentence is? In this context, someone opens the conversation with the question:
A: what does this mean?
A man who never drew but selfish ...
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"Most people had come to accept that war <was> <would be> inevitable."
a sentence from extra examples of item #7 on oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com:
(1) Most people had come to accept that war was inevitable.
Does Past Perfect mean "most people coming to accept" ...
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What's the meaning of "would" in this sentence?
Could you explain Damian's use of "would" when he answers a someone's question in the following? I can't understand the meaning.
Dwi: What does "emphatic" means in this sentence?
...
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What does "would" mean in "Don't be so nervous — anyone would think I was about to leap on you."?
a sentence from extra examples of item #2 on oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com:
(1) Don't be so nervous — anyone would think I was about to leap on you.
I don't understand the choice of the verbs "...
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"The job springboarded him into the profession at which he <would eventually excel> <eventually excelled>."— Why can we need the variant with "would"?
oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com:
(1) The job springboarded him into the profession at which he would eventually excel.
my subsidiary example:
(1a) The job springboards him into the profession at which ...
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What's the meaning of "would not" in "Therefore you would not normally use X"?
The context is in a manual for reference.
Note that variable is the name of a variable, not a reference to that variable. Therefore you would not normally use a ‘$’ or parentheses when writing it. (...
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How tasty would it be?
As a student of English, I have met two possible types of uses of the word "would". The first type of use refers to a situation that can actually happen, while the second one refers to a ...
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How tasty would it be?
As a student of English, I have met two possible types of uses of the word "would". The first type of use refers to a situation that can actually happen, while the second one refers to a ...
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When "would" is used as a softer form of "will"?
I've been studying Michael Swan's Practical English Usage and in the topic about would it states that:
Would is used as a softer, less definite form of will...
Could you help me understand this by ...
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"Used to" vs. "would": how to define "a state in the past"
Long story short: trying to simplify the rule about being able or unable to use "would" in place of "used to" when talking about the past, I got this:
We don't use "would" in place of "used to" ...
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Differences between "used to" and "would"?
I read somewhere that "used to" usage is for "past habits" and "would" usage is for "past habits and states" and we should only use "used to" for states. Is this true? Suppose that we have this ...
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Using “used to” vs "would" when expressing something done in the past
I understand how the phrase "used to" can describe something that was done in the past:
When I was growing up, my parents used to read to me at bedtime.
My dad used to take the family out ...
J.R.♦
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