When do we use the word would in a sentences

The word «would» has a few meanings and cases of use in English. Grammatically, «would» is the past form of «will». We do not put «to» before the main verb after «would» and the main verb stays in its infinitive form.

We often shorten «would» to ‘d (I’d, you’d, we’d etc.). Do not confuse the shortened versions of «would» and «had». 

1. I would help you, but… — conditionals

«Would» is used in conditional sentences.

When we imagine or think of something which is not real, we use would + infinitive.

When we express regrets about something in the past, we wanted things to go otherwise, but we can’t change that anymore, we use would + have + past participle.

2. She said she would come — reported speech

We use «would» as the past of «will» when we need to harmonize tenses in two parts of the sentence, for example, in the reported speech.

3. He wouldn’t listen — refuse

We use «won’t» and its past form «wouldn’t» in the meaning of «not want», «refuse», «be unwilling» to do something.

4. Would, used to — habits in the past

We use «would» as an analogue of «used to» when we speak about regular actions and habits in the past.

Pay attention!

In the examples above, we can either say «would» or «used to». But we can only say «used to» when we talk about states in the past and not physical actions.

5. Would you please, I would like, would you mind — polite request and set phrases

We use «would» to make a polite request. It is also possible to use «could» (could you please…?) in the same manner.

«Would» is a part of some polite set phrases, like:

• I would like, would you like
• I would rather (do something)
• Would you mind (doing something)

Would is an auxiliary verb — a modal auxiliary verb. We use would mainly to:

• talk about the past
• talk about the future in the past
• express the conditional mood

We also use would for other functions, such as:

• expressing desire, polite requests and questions, opinion or hope, wish and regret

Structure of would

The basic structure for would is:

subject

+

auxiliary verb would

+

main verb

Note that:

• The auxiliary verb would is invariable. There is only one form: would
• The main verb is usually in the base form (He would go).

Look at the basic structure again, with positive, negative and question sentences:

	subject	auxiliary would	not	main verb base
+	I	would		like	tea.
—	She	would	not	go.
?	Would	you		help?

Note that the main verb is sometimes in the form:

• have + past participle (He would have gone)
• be + -ing (He would be going)

The main verb cannot be the to-infinitive. We cannot say: He would to like coffee.

Be careful! Note that would and had have the same short form ‘d:
He’d finished = He had finished
He’d like coffee = He would like coffee

Use of would

would for the past

We often use would as a kind of past tense of will or going to:

• Even as a boy, he knew that he would succeed in life.
• I thought it would rain so I brought my umbrella.

Using would as as a kind of past tense of will or going to is common in reported speech:

• She said that she would buy some eggs. («I will buy some eggs.»)
• The candidate said that he wouldn’t increase taxes. («I won’t increase taxes.»)
• Why didn’t you bring your umbrella? I told you it would rain! («It’s going to rain.»)

We often use would not to talk about past refusals:

• He wanted a divorce but his wife would not agree.
• Yesterday morning, the car wouldn’t start.

We sometimes use would (rather like used to) when talking about habitual past behaviour:

• Every weekday my father would come home from work at 6pm and watch TV.
• Every summer we’d go to the seaside.
• Sometimes she’d phone me in the middle of the night.
• We would always argue. We could never agree.

would for the future in past

When talking about the past we can use would to express something that has not happened at the time we are talking about:

• In London she met the man that she would one day marry.
• He left 5 minutes late, unaware that the delay would save his life.

would for conditionals

We often use would to express the so-called second and third conditionals:

• If he lost his job he would have no money.
• If I had won the lottery I would have bought a car.

Using the same conditional structure, we often use would when giving advice:

• I wouldn’t eat that if I were you.
• If I were in your place I’d refuse.
• If you asked me I would say you should go.

Sometimes the condition is «understood» and there does not have to be an «if» clause:

• Someone who liked John would probably love John’s father. (If someone liked John they would probably love John’s father.)
• You’d never know it. (for example: If you met him you would never know that he was rich.)
• Why don’t you invite Mary? I’m sure she’d come.

would for desire or inclination

• I’d love to live here.
• Would you like some coffee?
• What I’d really like is some tea.

would for polite requests and questions

• Would you open the door, please? (more polite than: Open the door, please.)
• Would you go with me? (more polite than: Will you go with me?)
• Would you know the answer? (more polite than: Do you know the answer?)
• What would the capital of Nigeria be? (more polite than: What is the capital of Nigeria?)

would for opinion or hope

• I would imagine that they’ll buy a new one.
• I suppose some people would call it torture.
• I would have to agree.
• I would expect him to come.
• Since you ask me I’d say the blue one is best.

would for wish

• I wish you would stay. (I really want you to stay. I hope you will stay.)
• They don’t like me. I’m sure they wish I’d resign.

would for presumption or expectation

• That would be Jo calling. I’ll answer it.
• We saw a police helicopter overhead yesterday morning. | Really? They would have been looking for those bank robbers.

would for uncertainty

• He would seem to be getting better. (less certain than: He seems to be getting better.)
• It would appear that I was wrong. (less certain than: It appears that I was wrong.)

would for derogatory comment

• They would say that, wouldn’t they?
• John said he didn’t steal the money. | Well, he would, wouldn’t he?

would that for regret (poetic/rare)

This rare, poetic or literary use of would does not have the normal structure:

• Would that it were true! (If only it were true! We wish that it were true!)
• Would that his mother had lived to see him become president.

The modal auxiliary verb ‘would’ is one of the most versatile modal auxiliary verbs in English, if not the most. It is used in different situations for different purposes. Today, we will dive in deep and master all the different uses of would in English.

Would is a modal auxiliary verb; that means, it supports or helps the main verb in a sentence. The interesting thing about would is that it can be used to refer to all the tenses: present, past, and future. 

Different use of would

1. Past habits (repetitive actions in the past)

One of the most interesting uses of would is to talk about past habits or repetitive actions in the past. Read the following story carefully to master this use of would:

Isn’t it a tragic story? ;(

Yes, it is. But it is a great story to learn the use of would when to talk about repetitive actions in the past. All these things would happen repetitively in the past, and that’s why we are using would in these sentences. We can replace would in these sentences with ‘used to.’ It does the same job.

Let me show you more examples of would to talk about the repetitive actions in the past!

• When I was living in Mumbai, I would go to Juhu beach every evening and eat bhelpuri on the top of a rock.
• In my childhood, my father would take us to movies every weekend.
• It was amazing to be with Jerry. She would wake me up every morning, cook breakfast for me, feed me from her own hands.
• My sister would cry before going to school.

NOTE: we can replace would with used to in these sentences.

• When I was living in Mumbai, I used to go to Juhu beach every evening and eat bhelpuri on the top of a rock.
• In my childhood, my father used to take us to movies every weekend.
• It was amazing to be with Jerry. She used to wake me up every morning, cook breakfast for me, feed me from her own hands.
• My sister used to cry before going to school.

---

2. WOULD as the past form of will in indirect speech

Direct speech: Rahul said to me, “I will help you.”
Indirect speech: Rahul told me that he would help me.

Direct speech: He said, “You will be my best friend.”
Indirect speech: He said that I would be his best friend.

Direct speech: I said to my friends, “I will throw a party soon.”
Indirect speech: I told my friends that I would throw a party soon.

NOTE: Would is used as the past tense of will in indirect speech.

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3. To make polite offers and invitations

Would is usually used to make polite offers and invitations.

• Would you like to be a part of our startup?
• Would you like to join us tonight for the party?
• Would you like me to book a cab for you?
• Would any of your friends be interested to watch the movie with us?

Note: we make polite offers and invitations use the structure ” subject + would + like to” or ” subject + would + like + noun/pronoun + to.”

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4. Polite Requests

We often use would to make polite requests. We also use can or could to make requests too.

• Would you please shift a bit?
• Would you drop my son to his school?
• Would you lend me your phone for a minute, please?
• Would you share your current location, please?

Adding ‘please‘ to the request makes the request even more polite.

NOTE: Use “Would you mind + gerund ……. ? “ to make a request. It’s very common in spoken English.

• Would you mind sharing the pizza with me?
• Would you mind taking a photo of my kids?
• Would you mind carrying my bags for a moment?
• Would you mind helping me understand this text?
• Would you mind sharing some workout tips? We really need some.

---

5. Polite questions

Use would while asking polite questions.

• Would you like some cheese in your pasta?
• Would you like to try the cake I just have baked?
• Would you know the name of your math teacher?
• Would your husband mind if I dance with you?

• Do you want some cheese in your pasta?
• Do you want to try the cake I just have baked?
• Do you know the name of your math teacher?
• Does your husband mind if I dance with you?

---

6. To make wishes/desires

Use would to show you desires or wishes.

• I would like to open a school for underprivileged students.
• She would like you to sing for her.
• We would like to do something for the poor.
• My mother would like to see my kids before she dies.
• I would like some beer if that’s possible.

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7. To show certainty or possibility

The modal will is used to talk about what people are willing to do in the present or in the future. Would is the past tense of will and is used to talk about what people were willing to do in the past.

• We will die for you.
• The students will do whatever you say.
• I will not put my job on the line for you.
• The baby will not sleep without getting the milk.

Use would in the past to talk about the willingness of a person or people!

• They would die for me if they had to.
• The students would do whatever I said.
• He would not put his job on the line for me.
• The baby would not sleep without getting the milk.

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8. To give opinions

• Going there without knowing them would not be the right thing to do.
• Proposing her on her birthday would be the best.
• That job would be good to join.

---

9. Unreal or hypothetical situation (conditional sentences)

Would is used in conditional sentences to talk about unreal or hypothetical things.

Use of would in type 2 conditional sentences

• If I were your father, I would take away all the fancy gadgets from you.
• If she knew how to speak English, she would get many jobs.
• If I were a bird, I would shit on you every day.
• If he had more money, he wouldn’t do this terrible job.

In type 2 conditional sentences, we talk about an unreal or impossible situation and its result in the present or in the near future. We use the subjunctive ‘were’ to show the hypothetical condition.

Use would to give pieces of advises (2nd conditional)

• If I were you, I wouldn’t waste my talent like this.
  (Don’t waste your talent like this)

• We would say ‘yes’ to his offer if we were you.
  (You should say ‘yes’ to his offer)

• I would never leave this girl if I were you.
  (You should never leave this girl)

• If I were you, I wouldn’t talk to my father with such a derogatory tone.
  (You should not talk to your father with such a derogatory tone)

• If I were you, I would consult a doctor right away.
  (You should consult a doctor right away)

Use of would in type 3 conditional sentences

• We would have won the match if they had not cheated.
• If the company had treated me well, I wouldn’t have left the job.
• If she had not lied to me, I would not have broken up with her.
• If you had come in my life earlier, I would have been a successful guy.
• Jon would have been alive if you had taken him to the hospital in time.

We use type 3 conditional sentences to about an unreal situation in the past, and its probable result in the past.

Examples of would in Mixed conditional sentences:

• If I did not have an exam tomorrow, I would be coming with you guys.
  (I have an exam tomorrow, and I will not be coming with you.)

• Max would be really upset with us if we were not coming to his party.
  (We are coming to his party, and he is not upset with us.)

• If I had listened to your advice that day, I would be dead today.
  (I am not dead as I did listen to your advice that day.)

• If she had not cheated me, we would be getting married next week.
  (We are not getting married next week because she cheated me.)

• If you had found Ashish, your lives would be so boring.
  (Your lives aren’t boring as Ashish is with you.) 😉

Hope the usages of would is clear. Feel free to ask your questions and share the post with others! See you in the other class!

Related YouTube videos:

Conditional sentences Type 1 2 3:

Mixed conditional sentences

Use of Can and Could

Would for Imaginary Situations

How to Use Would

There are many different uses of would, but on this page you’ll learn to use would when talking about imaginary situations.

What is an imaginary situation?

An imaginary situation is something unreal, you just create it in your mind.

You think or dream about something or you wish it. For example, you don’t have so much money but you think of a situation that you have a lot of money, you wish to have a lot of money and you think about the things you want to do with that money.

Let’s say, you want to buy a car and go on a holiday with that money. You say: I would buy a car. I would go on a holiday. You just imagine a situation that you have a lot of money.

Let’s talk about another example to explain the use of would:

In these sentences I used would to talk about my imagination.

We use would for imaginary situations that are in the present or future. 
The situation is not real, it might or might not happen.

For example; I said: I would dye my hair pink and blue.

Is my hair pink and blue now? NO.
Do I want to dye my hair pink and blue? YES.
Do I imagine it? YES.
Will I dye my hair? MAYBE.

Let’s see more examples:

• I would exercise more but I don’t have time for it.(I imagine a situation that I exercise  more.)
• I would have dinner with you but I need to leave now.
• I imagine being on top of a mountain now, I would meditate every night.
• I live in the city, but in my dream house, I would be in the countryside and grow avocados in my garden.
• She would choose this dress with red dots. (Your friend wants to get a dress for her girlfriend and asks you which one is a better idea.)
• A: Imagine a garden covered with thick, green lawn and beautiful flowers. B: That would be amazing!

Would with Conditional Sentences

We use conditional sentences to talk about some conditions and their results.
There are three types of conditional sentences: Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3.
Here I want to talk about Type 2 conditionals.

There are two parts of a conditinal sentence: If clause and main clause.
In Type 2 conditional sentences, we talk about imaginary (unreal) situations in the present or future. 

We use would in the main clause part of the Type 2 conditional sentence.

We use if + past simple, would + infinitive.

For example:

• If I had money, I would buy a new computer. (In reality, I cannot buy a new computer because I don’t have money.)

We use Type 2 conditional sentences to talk about imaginary situations. In spoken language, most of the time, we omit the if clause part of the sentence and just use the main clause with would.

Look at the examples again:

Let’s say we imagine a situation that we have more time and we talk about it with a friend. We say:

If I had time, I would exercise more. 

When we talk to our friend, we can omit If I had time and only say, I would exercise more, because the person that we are talking to already knows or guesses this part of the sentence from what we previously talked. – most probably we were complaining to the person that we do not have time for anything, we dream of doing more exercises, etc.

We omit the first part of the sentence but the person that we are talking to still understands what we mean. 

Let’s see more examples:

• When we imagine being on top of a mountain and talk about it to a friend, we can say:

I would meditate every night. (Normally the sentence is like If I were on top of a mountain, I would meditate every night. But we omit ‘If I were on top of a mountain’ part of the sentence.)

• When we imagine having only six months to live and talk about it to someone, we can say:

I would go to Iguazu Falls in Argentina. (We omit ‘If I had only six months to live’ part of the sentence.)

Now It’s your turn. Write down 3 things you would do if you had only six months to live. What’s on your bucket list?

How to Form Would

Would is a helping verb. In English we have helping verbs (auxiliary verbs) and main verbs.
When we use would in a sentence, we use it with a main verb. The main verb is in the infinitive form.

would + infinitive form of the verb

• I would tell him the truth. (If I were you, I would tell him the truth.)

Positive Sentences (+)

To form positive sentences with would, we use would with the infinitive form of the verb.

would + infinitive

• If I had time, I would travel to South Africa.
• If he were rich, he would buy a BMW.
• If we had enough space,we would put a dinner table in the middle of the living room.
• If I had a chance, I would learn how to fly a helicopter.
• If you helped me, I would finish my homework earlier.

Contractions (Short forms):

We usually use I’d as the short form instead of I would in a sentence.

Short form of would with different subject pronouns:

I would = I’d 
You would = you’d 
He would = he’d
She would = she’d
It would = it’d
We would = we’d
They would = they’d

Negative sentences (-)

To form negative sentences, we use not with would.

would + not + infinitive

• If I were born again, I wouldn’t worry about small things in life.
• If I had more money, I wouldn’t buy this phone.
• If my mother knew the price, she wouldn’t let me buy this dress.
• If I had some cash with me, I wouldn’t pay with credit card.

Questions (?)

To form questions, we use would at the beginning of the sentence.

Would + subject + infinitive?

• Would you come to the movies with me?
• If you had time, would you help me with the housework?
• If you had another chance, would you apologise to her?

We also use would with the question words, what, who, where, when, etc. in questions.

• What would you do in this situation?
• What would you do if you had 3000 dollars?
• Where would you live?
• Who would you invite to your new house?
• How would you spend your money?

Ready to Practice?

Click here to try an exercise about would for imaginary situations.

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3. would

Asked by: Adolf Ernser

Score: 4.9/5
(70 votes)

We often use would (or the contracted form ‘d) in the main clause of a conditional sentence when we talk about imagined situations: If we had left earlier, we would have been able to stop off for a coffee on the way. If we went to Chile, we’d have to go to Argentina as well. I’d love to see both.

Where the word would is used?

would is the past tense form of will. Because it is a past tense, it is used: to talk about the past. to talk about hypotheses (when we imagine something)

Would and used to examples?

Used to and would are both use to describe something that happened regularly in the past but doesn’t happen any longer, as shown in the following two sentences about quitting smoking: I used to smoke, but I quit last year. Whenever I craved a cigarette, I would chew gum instead.

Would and could use?

Could, would, and should are all used to talk about possible events or situations, but each one tells us something different. Could is used to say that an action or event is possible. Would is used to talk about a possible or imagined situation, and is often used when that possible situation is not going to happen.

What is would grammar?

Would is an auxiliary verb — a modal auxiliary verb. We use would mainly to: talk about the past. talk about the future in the past. express the conditional mood.

16 related questions found

Many non-native English learners find it confusing when it comes to the uses of “would”. The word “would” has miscellaneous uses, so confusion is not unlikely. This post aims to clear the confusion. Most of the times, the source of the confusion is the perception that “would” is always used as the past form of the auxiliary verb “will”. Yes, “would” is the past form of “will”, but it has various other uses too, which have nothing to do with the fact that would is the past form of “will”. So, I want to put emphasis on this point and want you to remember it, as it will help to clear the confusions.

To understand the uses of “would”, first of all, we have to have a clear conception of different situations. Situations are the key here, as it’s going to determine whether to use “will” or “would”. The word “will” is mainly used to express plans and things that we are certain about. Now, let’s get familiar with the situations when “would” should be used instead of “will”, one by one. The most common situations when we use “would” are:

1.     To describe an imaginary situation

In practical life, we talk about situations which are imagined, and in English, the word “would” is used to describe that. But confusions come with that, as “imaginary situation” gives a vibe of the future tense. To be able to recognize which is an imaginary situation and which one indicates the future situation is important. Here is an example:

She would look better with longer hair. In this example, we have imagined her with longer hair, but in reality, she has shorter hair. So, this is an imaginary situation, and we shouldn’t use “will” in this case, as the auxiliary verb “will” is used as a part of the verb to describe future situations. To give another example, she would be glad if you send this box of chocolate to her. In this one, you are not going to send her a box of chocolate, you just have imagined that, so “would” should be used.

2.     To form conditional sentences

Generally, in English, there are three types of conditional sentences. In first conditional, we use “will”, but in the second and third conditional sentences we use “would”. Below are two examples of conditional sentences:

2^nd conditional: if I had a magic wand, I would change some historical events.

3^rd conditional: I would never have met with her if I hadn’t gone to that party.

Also, notice that both of the sentences talk about imaginary situations.

3.     To express modest request and proposal

When we are in a  formal situation, using “would” to form request and proposal is expected. Although, you could use “will” to form request and proposal in an informal setting. To illustrate, will you come in? This is for the informal situation. In a formal situation we should say: would you please come in?  Here is a proposal: Would you like to have a cup of coffee?

4.     In reported speech

In this situation use of “would” is related to the past form of “will”. Suppose, your friend told you, “I will be here at 8 o’clock.” Now, if you want to tell that to me you should say this: she told that she would be here at 8 o’clock. This is an example of reported speech and use “would” in the places of “will”.

5.     To express likings, hearted and preferences for something

Usually, words, such as love, hate, prefer, like and glad are used along with “would” to describe these types of situations. A couple of examples are: I would be glad to help, I would hate to work out in the morning, I would love to travel to Europe. 

6.     To give an opinion on uncertain things

When we are not sure about someone’s age, we generally estimate the age. To express uncertainty, we should use “would”. For example, “I would say he is about forty”. By the way words such as, imagine, say and think go along with “would” to express these types of situations. If we are not sure about the distance between two places we should say: I think it would take forty minutes.

7.     To describe past habits

In this case, it is somewhat similar with the use of “used to”, though, there is a slight difference. Look at this example: “When I was young, I would play chase with my father”. If we want to use “would” to describe past habits we should use an action verb like “play”. We shouldn’t use state verbs with “would” to describe past habits. For this reason, I can’t say: when I was young, I would live in an old house, as the verb “live” is a state verb. Instead, we should say: when I was young, I used to live in an old house.

8.      After the word wish

Sometimes we want incidents to occur the way we like them to occur. In those situations, “would” is used after the word wish. Here are two examples: I wish she would leave me, I wish you would be quiet for a minute.

9.     To express refusal to do something

Rechel wouldn’t go to the doctor, even though she was in pain. In the sentence, Rechel’s refusal is expressed.  This types of expressions are also used to describe the condition of machines. For instance, my car would not start today.

9.     To express a result of some action

This is another situation when “would” is used. In this case, results and intentions are expressed with “so that or in order that”. An illustration of these types of situation is: she burned the letters so that her husband would never read them.

The situations discussed above cover almost all the uses of “would”. Creating examples which are similar to the given situations would be a great way to get better at using “would” in speaking and writing.

Basis for Comparison	Could	Would
Examples	Maybe she could meet Piya when she go to Amsterdam.	I would meet you, but I was little busy.

•
29 oct. 2019

Also What are conditional and define it with examples?

The definition of a conditional is a grammar term that means a sentence structure that expresses a particular situation or circumstance and its consequences. An example of a conditional is a sentence telling someone that you will be mad at them if they are late.

Subsequently, Where we use could and would? Could is used to say that an action or event is possible. Would is used to talk about a possible or imagined situation, and is often used when that possible situation is not going to happen.

What is the difference between could and would? Could expresses possibility, while would expresses certainty and intent. A good way to remember the differences between these two words is simply to bring each word back to its root verb. Could is the past tense of can. Would is the past tense of will.

Could in a sentence example?

Could sentence example. I had let so much gas out of my balloon that I could not rise again, and in a few minutes the earth closed over my head. The doctor thought I could not live. I could not help it.

What do you mean by conditional mean?

1 : subject to, implying, or dependent upon a condition a conditional promise. 2 : expressing, containing, or implying a supposition the conditional clause if he speaks. 3a : true only for certain values of the variables or symbols involved conditional equations.

What are the two types of conditional and explain each?

5 Types of Conditional Sentences

Conditional sentence type	When to use
Type 1	A possible situation and the result
Type 2	A hypothetical condition and its possible result
Type 3	An impossible past situation and its result in the past
Mixed Conditionals	An impossible past situation and its result in the present

•
26 août 2021

What are conditionals in English grammar?

What are conditionals in English grammar? Sometimes we call them ‘if clauses’. They describe the result of something that might happen (in the present or future) or might have happened but didn’t (in the past) . They are made using different English verb tenses.

Would and could in a sentence?

“Would” to Show Certainty

While “could” shows ability or possibility, “would” shows certainty in a past or hypothetical situation. If you think about “would” being the past tense of “will,” then it completely makes sense. For example: When I was younger, I would ride my bike home in 10 minutes.

Where we use would?

We use would as the past of will, to describe past beliefs about the future: I thought we would be late, so we would have to take the train.

Could or would you please?

But I would suppose that “would” is more polite, because it expresses the idea of probability, and of willingness, and of the desire that something be done, whereas “could” is more in the realm of ability (yes I can). And according to the American Heritage Dictionary, “would” is used to make a polite request.

Could you please vs Would you please?

But I would suppose that “would” is more polite, because it expresses the idea of probability, and of willingness, and of the desire that something be done, whereas “could” is more in the realm of ability (yes I can). And according to the American Heritage Dictionary, “would” is used to make a polite request.

When we can use would?

‘will’ and ‘would’

1. We use will:
2. would is the past tense form of will. …
3. We use will to express beliefs about the present or future:
4. We use would as the past of will, to describe past beliefs about the future:
5. We use would as the past tense of will:
6. We use I will or We will to make promises and offers:

Could VS would in questions?

When making general polite suggestions or asking a question, both could and can are possible (“Excuse me, can/could you tell me what time it is?”). … Would can also be used to ask polite questions (“Would you mind if I had another cup of tea?”), or to wish for something (“I wish she would write a book.”).

When to use the word could in a sentence?

In the sentence “We could have as many as ten people come to dinner tonight,” could is used to say that it is possible that ten people will come to the speaker’s home for dinner (“I think that it is possible we will have as many as ten people for dinner tonight.”).

Could or can in a sentence?

The modal verbs can and could represent the ability of a person or thing in doing something. However, there is a difference in their usage, as ‘can‘ is used in present situation, whereas we can use ‘could’ for talking about a past ability. Both are followed by a base form of the verb.

When Could is used?

“Could” is a modal verb used to express possibility or past ability as well as to make suggestions and requests. “Could” is also commonly used in conditional sentences as the conditional form of “can.” Examples: Extreme rain could cause the river to flood the city.

What means conditional statement?

Definition. A conditional statement is a statement that can be written in the form “If P then Q,” where P and Q are sentences. For this conditional statement, P is called the hypothesis and Q is called the conclusion. Intuitively, “If P then Q” means that Q must be true whenever P is true.

What is conditional mean and variance?

In probability theory and statistics, a conditional variance is the variance of a random variable given the value(s) of one or more other variables. Particularly in econometrics, the conditional variance is also known as the scedastic function or skedastic function.

What are the two types of conditionals?

Conditional

Conditional sentence type	Usage	If clause verb tense
Zero	General truths	Simple present
Type 1	A possible condition and its probable result	Simple present
Type 2	A hypothetical condition and its probable result	Simple past
Type 3	An unreal past condition and its probable result in the past	Past perfect

What are the two types of conditional clauses?

The 4 Types of Conditionals. Conditional sentences have two clauses: a condition (if…) and a result. The verb tenses used in each clause depends on whether the speaker thinks the result is probable (real) or only exists in the imagination (unreal).

What is a Type 2 conditional?

The type 2 conditional refers to an unlikely or hypothetical condition and its probable result. … In type 2 conditional sentences, the time is now or any time and the situation is hypothetical.

What are the 3 types of conditional?

Conditional

Conditional sentence type	Usage	If clause verb tense
Zero	General truths	Simple present
Type 1	A possible condition and its probable result	Simple present
Type 2	A hypothetical condition and its probable result	Simple past
Type 3	An unreal past condition and its probable result in the past	Past perfect

What are the types of conditional statements?

Conditional Statements : if, else, switch

• If statement.
• If-Else statement.
• Nested If-else statement.
• If-Else If ladder.
• Switch statement.

What are conditional statements?

Conditional Statements

Use if to specify a block of code to be executed, if a specified condition is true. Use else to specify a block of code to be executed, if the same condition is false. Use else if to specify a new condition to test, if the first condition is false.

Would you like to know the difference between the words will and would?

In this article, we will look at the different meanings of will and would, explore how and when we use each of these words, and give examples that show how will and would are typically used in sentences.

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.

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.

The word would is also often used in place of will when using the subjunctive mood, a verb mood used to express hypothetical or conditional statements. When used this way, would is used to express conditional or hypothetical ability or possibility even when talking about the present or the future. When discussing the past in this context, the word would is often used alongside the auxiliary verb have.

For example:

• If given the chance, my cat would totally destroy this sofa.
• If we do nothing, the rainforest would surely be lost within a generation or two.
• Charlie would have become a doctor if he could have afforded medical school.

Like other auxiliary verbs, will and would often appear alone in sentences. In this case, they are still acting as auxiliary verbs and the main verb is omitted but still understood. 

For example:

• Jack won’t be here tomorrow, but Sarah will (be).
• I can’t help you move because I am sick. Trust me, I would (help) if I could (help). 

Both will and would are used to ask questions. For example:

• Will you help me clean the yard?
• Would you help me clean the yard?

In general, would is often considered to be more formal or more polite than will when asking questions because it seems less blunt or less direct. Grammatically, though, it is correct to use either one.

Verbs similar to will and would

There are two other helping verbs that act in much the same way as will and would. The past tense of the verb can is could and the past tense of the verb shall is should.

Can’t get enough? Then review this guide on can vs. could.

Examples of will and would used in a sentence

We will end our discussion by looking at a few examples that show how we typically use will and would in our sentences.

• The movie will be released internationally.
• We would have a big problem if we didn’t keep the hornets and bees in separate areas.
• Santa Claus will come back again next Christmas.
• We will never know how the author would have ended the story if they had lived to finish it.
• My old car would break down constantly, so I am going to make sure my new car will be sturdy and reliable.

Take The Quiz

Feeling confident about how much you’ve learned about these verbs already? If so, we think you will perform admirably on our quiz on will vs. would. You may surprise yourself with what you’ve learned!

The simple word would has a lot of jobs in English. It’s a modal auxiliary verb*, which basically means it modifies other verbs to create different effects. Would is used to express:

1. polite requests;
2. invitations or offers;
3. reported speech;
4. repeated actions in the past;
5. willingness in the past;
6. hypothetical situations;
7. conditional sentences;
8. wishes;
9. talk about preferences; and, finally,
10. opinions.

That’s a lot to cover in one blog post! I’ll mostly give you examples so you can see how it works.

1. Make polite requests

It’s always a good idea to ask for things politely in English. If you say, «Close the window», to someone, you’ll sound very demanding. Even if you add, «please», it will still sound like you’re ordering them to do something.  

DEMANDING:

A. Close the window, please.
B. You’re not the boss of me! Close it yourself!

Instead, we use would to ask politely.

POLITE:

A. Would you close the window, please?
B. Sure, I’d be happy to.

Notice that the structure is would + you + base verb.

2. To make invitations or offers

Let’s say you want to invite someone to come to your home for tea. Since you’re inviting them, not ordering them to come, you’ll want to say it politely. Again, we use would:

A. Would you like to come over for tea tomorrow?
B. Oh, that would be lovely! 

Here the structure is would + you + like + to-infinitive verb.

3. In reported speech

The trick to using would in reported speech is simply to substitute it for the verb will in direct speech.

Your friend Maria says to you: Yes, I will come over for tea tomorrow.
You tell someone else: Maria said she would come over for tea tomorrow.

The structure is simply would + verb (previously used with will).

4. To talk about repeated actions in the past

If you want to talk about an action done repeatedly in the past but not anymore, use would.

When I was a child, I would stay on my grandparents’ farm every summer.

But this is only for action verbs. For state verbs, use «used to» or the past simple.

used to: I used to feel lonely a lot when I was younger.
simple past: I felt lonely a lot when I was younger.

5. To talk about willingness in the past

If you want to say how willing or happy someone was to do something in the past, you can use would. This is typically a negative statement, however, so in that case, it’s wouldn’t.

She said she had a plan, but she wouldn’t tell me what it was.

Just add not to the structure we’ve looked at before: would + not + base verb.

6. In hypothetical situations

When you talk about an unreal, or imaginary situation, the structure is would + base form, and you can talk about both actions and states of being. 

action: He would give you whatever you needed.
state: He would love to get a job that paid better.

7. In conditional sentences

Both the second and third conditionals use would in their construction. Conditionals have two clauses: an if clause, and a then clause. 

Each conditional form is used for a different purpose.

• Second conditional: to express an unlikely or impossible outcome in the present.
  • if clause: if + subject + past simple.
  • then clause: (then) + subject + would + base form. Often, then is implied without being written.

If I had enough room in my house, (then) I would get a piano.

You can put the if and then clauses in either order in the sentence. When the if clause comes first, you must put a comma after it, before the then clause. When then comes first, you don’t need a comma.

I would get a piano if I had enough room in my house.

• Third conditional: to talk about a hypothetical situation in the past. We usually use this in the negative to talk about something that might have had a different outcome. Sometimes the outcome is positive, and sometimes negative.

positive result: If she hadn’t gone to the dance, we would never have met!
negative result: They would have found the restaurant if they had followed my directions.

The structures here are a bit more complex: 

• if clause: if + subject + past perfect
• then clause: subject + would have + (not/never) + past participle

8. To express wishes

If someone is annoying me, I might say, «I wish they would stop doing that!» We use this structure a lot to talk about a hypothetical situation that we don’t expect to come true.

I wish it would stop raining.
Hedda wishes she could have chocolate for breakfast every day.

«Wish» statements are constructed like this: [subject + wish] + [subject + would/could + base form]. 

9. To talk about preferences

(We’re almost there! Only one more after this.)

When there is more than one option available, you express your preference with subject + would rather + base form.

A. We have either salmon or chicken for dinner.
B. I would rather have the salmon.

The options aren’t always spelled out, but the preference is still clear.

A. It’s cold here!
B. Yeah, I’d rather live in the south.

Another way to say the same thing is would prefer. The only difference in structure is that the verb following «prefer» is a to-infinitive: subject + would prefer + to-infinitive.

«Prefer» is generally more formal than «rather». In a casual conversation, you will most likely hear and use «rather».

You can ask someone’s preference using the same phrases, but the structure changes slightly: would + subject + rather/prefer + base form/to-infinitive.

A. Would you prefer salmon or chicken for dinner?
B. Salmon, please.

10. To give opinions

(Finally! The last one!)

Using would when giving your opinion can either be simply polite, or it can express that you aren’t sure you’re correct.

There are some common phrases used in these situations:

• I would think…
• I would imagine…
• I would guess…

A. Should we go ahead and publish the article?
B. I would think we need to wait and make sure the editor is okay with it. [more polite than «I think we need to…»]

A. She looks really tired.
B. I would imagine it’s been exhausting with the new baby at home.

A. What do we do now?
B. I’d guess he’d want us to call his mom for help.

And there you have it—10 ways to use the word would in English. You can review this lesson with a video about «would» on the English with Lucy YouTube channel.
—
*modal auxiliary verb [part of speech]—modifies another verb to express different aspects of meaning. For more on modals, see our blog post, «Grammar essentials: Introduction to modals».
You’re not the boss of me! [idiom]—a response to someone ordering you to do something that you don’t want to do; based on the idea that a «boss» gives orders that must be followed.

‘I would love to travel the world.’

would for unreal situations

The word would is used for unreal or imagined situations:
‘I would love to visit New York.’
‘She would like to be professional footballer.’
‘We would go, but we are too busy.’

would as a past tense

would and wouldn’t are the past tense of will and won’t. Let’s look at an example of this using direct and reported speech:
Andrew: ‘I will be late.’ (direct speech)
‘Andrew said that he would be late.’(reported speech)

would in conditional sentences

Would is used again for unreal or hypothetical situations in the 2nd and 3rd conditionals:
2nd Conditional: ‘If I won the lottery, I would travel the world.’
3rd Conditional: ‘If I had worked harder, I would have passed the test.’

would not as ‘to refuse’

Wouldn’t (would not) is used to show that someone refused to do something:

‘I asked him if I could borrow his car, but he wouldn’t lend it to me.’

would for past actions

Would can be used to talk about actions that repeated in the past. It is used in the same context as used to:
‘When I was young I would do my homework every evening.’
‘In the summer we would always go camping.’

Using ‘wish’ for past regrets