Les Villain
When I was a kid, I would always play outside after dinner. What's " would" in this sentence. It means literal " you always play outside"? Without intentional? like " she said she would play?
Feb 24, 2025 12:18 PM
Answers · 10
1
In your sentence, "would" indicates a past habit, similar to "used to." ✔ "When I was a kid, I always played outside after dinner." (Same meaning, without "would.") It does not express intention like in "She said she would play," where "would" is the past of "will."
Feb 25, 2025 3:19 AM
1
It mostly means "I always played outside after dinner", but with less certainty. Modal verbs, such as "would" establish no time frame. The time frame is determined by the context. Thus you can say "Yesterday, I would play..." "Today, I would play..." "Tomorrow, I would play..." In your sentence, the past time frame is established by the phrase "when I was a kid", not by the modal verb "would". Here's a future example: "Next year I will go to the university. I would certainly study French there, but it depends on having enough time."
Feb 24, 2025 3:38 PM
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When you are recalling a time in the past you use 'would'. It is the same as saying "I used to play outside.".... (but I don't anymore)
Feb 24, 2025 2:19 PM
1
Its meaning is a mixture between "I did always play outside" ("I always played outside") and "I always would have if I could have" (whenever the opportunity arose). Some people who speak like this, mean the former, and some people mean the latter, and some people mean a mixture of the two. The only reason people would speak like this when using the former meaning where the word "would" seems unnecessary and inappropriate, is because they want to speak with a bit of a posh & old-fashioned tone.
Feb 24, 2025 1:37 PM
Invitee
1
Past Habit as others have said.
Feb 25, 2025 5:40 AM
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