Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - would

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. Note: 'Would' is a modal verb. It is used with the base form of a verb. In spoken English, 'would' is often abbreviated to '’d'. 1. You use would when you are saying what someone believed, hoped, or expected to happen or be the case. No one believed he would actually kill himself... Would he always be like this?... He expressed the hope that on Monday elementary schools would be reopened... A report yesterday that said British unemployment would continue to rise... MODAL 2. You use would when saying what someone intended to do. The statement added that although there were a number of differing views, these would be discussed by both sides... George decided it was such a rare car that he would only use it for a few shows... MODAL 3. You use would when you are referring to the result or effect of a possible situation. Ordinarily it would be fun to be taken to fabulous restaurants... It would be wrong to suggest that police officers were not annoyed by acts of indecency... It would cost very much more for the four of us to go from Italy. MODAL 4. You use would, or would have with a past participle, to indicate that you are assuming or guessing that something is true, because you have good reasons for thinking it. You wouldn’t know him... His fans would already be familiar with Caroline... It was half seven; her mother would be annoyed because he was so late. MODAL 5. You use would in the main clause of some ‘if’ and ‘unless’ sentences to indicate something you consider to be fairly unlikely to happen. If only I could get some sleep, I would be able to cope... A policeman would not live one year if he obeyed these regulations... MODAL 6. You use would to say that someone was willing to do something. You use would not to indicate that they refused to do something. They said they would give the police their full cooperation... She indicated that she would help her husband... He wouldn’t say where he had picked up the information. MODAL 7. You use would not to indicate that something did not happen, often in spite of a lot of effort. He kicked, pushed, and hurled his shoulder at the door. It wouldn’t open... He kept trying to start the car and the battery got flatter and flatter, until it wouldn’t turn the engine at all... MODAL 8. You use would, especially with ‘like’, ‘love’, and ‘wish’, when saying that someone wants to do or have a particular thing or wants a particular thing to happen. Right now, your mom would like a cup of coffee... Ideally, she would love to become pregnant again... He wished it would end... would rather: see rather MODAL 9. You use would with ‘if’ clauses in questions when you are asking for permission to do something. Do you think it would be all right if I smoked?... Mr. Cutler, would you mind if I asked a question? MODAL 10. You use would, usually in questions with ‘like’, when you are making a polite offer or invitation. Would you like a drink?... Perhaps you would like to pay a visit to London. MODAL c darkgreen]politeness 11. You use would, usually in questions, when you are politely asking someone to do something. Would you come in here a moment, please?... Oh dear, there’s the doorbell. See who it is, would you, darling. = could MODAL c darkgreen]politeness 12. You say that someone would do something when it is typical of them and you are critical of it. You emphasize the word would when you use it in this way. Well, you would say that: you’re a man... MODAL c darkgreen]disapproval 13. You use would, or sometimes would have with a past participle, when you are expressing your opinion about something or seeing if people agree with you, especially when you are uncertain about what you are saying. I think you’d agree he’s a very respected columnist... I would have thought it a proper job for the Army to fight rebellion... I would imagine she’s quite lonely living on her own. MODAL c darkgreen]vagueness 14. You use I would when you are giving someone advice in an informal way. If I were you I would simply ring your friend’s bell and ask for your bike back... There could be more unrest, but I wouldn’t exaggerate the problems. MODAL 15. You use you would in negative sentences with verbs such as ‘guess’ and ‘know’ when you want to say that something is not obvious, especially something surprising. Chris is so full of artistic temperament you’d never think she was the daughter of a banker... MODAL 16. You use would to talk about something which happened regularly in the past but which no longer happens. Sunday mornings my mother would bake. I’d stand by the fridge and help... = used to MODAL 17. You use would have with a past participle when you are saying what was likely to have happened by a particular time. Within ten weeks of the introduction, 34 million people would have been reached by our television commercials. MODAL 18. You use would have with a past participle when you are referring to the result or effect of a possible event in the past. My daughter would have been 17 this week if she had lived... If I had known how he felt, I would never have let him adopt those children... MODAL 19. If you say that someone would have liked or preferred something, you mean that they wanted to do it or have it but were unable to. I would have liked a life in politics... She would have liked to ask questions, but he had moved on to another topic... MODAL