Jon
I am still a little confused about a few "would" constellations... In most of cases I can handle the semantic meaning of would and know straight if would is used in conditional frames, in past repetitions acts (habits, alone or most in connections with adverbs of frequency) or as past of will. And sentences like' I told you, he would be here at 8 pm', are clear. I have read a lot of such kind of sentences. Indirect speech in connection with a personal subject, verb in past. But the collected sentences below seems not clear at all. Would be very kindly to get some hint. :) When the rains would start and my mother would plant the seeds, she used to say...why not 'started, planted...'I can t say, thats a habit of weather to rain...? So why would? Also below... It would reflect and analyze certain matters. This would complicate things. Some of the things that I would think about I felt were important. Sometimes I would investigate and try to find an answer to a xxx question. He wouldn' t tell us what to do, but he would be an example through ...
Nov 22, 2014 2:25 PM
Answers · 4
1
There are some different uses. For example we can use would to talk about past habits' Every Tuesday he would walk down to the village". "This would complicate things' is actually indirect speech of somebody's thoughts.He thought to himself" This will complicate things" so the Will becomes Would in indirect speech. Check which sentences are past habits and which are indirect speech without the verb of speaking in the beginning.
November 22, 2014
Constructions, yes :)
November 22, 2014
btw 'Constellations' are collections of stars. Do you mean 'constructions'?
November 22, 2014
Thanks for your very helpful reply! I would amplify... the sentences with 'some and sometimes' in front indicates frequency and so 'would' would be used to express that, a habit like 'would often or would always'. And the last sentences 'He wouldn' t tell us...' express the same as 'he would never...' and belongs to the same 'habit group'. And 'when the rain would start...' indicates a close relationship between the fact of raining to the fact what the mother is going to tell then. And this frequent relationship will be express through would. I am right? Thanks again ;)
November 22, 2014
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