Past modal

Question

Hi,What is the meaning of would have sold (or especially would sold) in below sentence please?The salesman would have sold his products but he was late for the appointment.

Philip · Accepted Answer

The complete verb in the conditional perfect is would have sold. It means that he was willing to sell, and was prepared to do so, but he had to leave. The completed third-level conditional sentence: He would have sold his products if he hadn't been late for an appointment. [ would sold is not an option. ]

Khoshtip · Answer

It seems somewhat complex for me

1- Does the word would, have any unique meaning here?
2- If you replace the words would have sold with some identical other three words, could you do that? If so, what words would you use please?

Philip · Answer

Perhaps a look at the three types of conditional tenses will help here.
1 - If you buy me that dress I will wear it. [ If-clause in present; result clause can be present, future or the command. ]
2 - If you bought me that dress I would wear it.
3 - If you had bought me that dress I would have worn it.

1 - There is every reason to expect that these actions will happen.
2 - We don't know if the actions will happen or not.
3 - Neither action happened.

No, "would" has no other meaning here; it is just functional.

Khoshtip · Answer

Thanks. I read first three numbers but I am not sure could I see last three or not. Anyway, please note these questions as well.
In #2 wasn't it better to use would buy instead of bought? Why?
In #3 wasn't it better to use had worn instead of would have worn? Why?

Anonymous · Answer

If you buy me that dress I would wear it. ?

Philip · Answer

khoshtipIn #3 wasn't it better to use had worn instead of would have worn? Why?
khoshtipIn #2 wasn't it better to use would buy instead of bought? Why?

These are incorrect for conditional sentences. Unfortunately, you will hear "double-woulds" and "double-would've" from native speakers.

Stick with my first explanation and go no further with possibilities.

Anonymous · Answer

Can we use would instead of will in first conditional clause
?/

Philip · Answer

No, even though some native speakers mistakenly do so. I repeat: Use the patterns I set up for you earlier and do not try to alter them for any reason. If you do so, you will be wrong.

Khoshtip · Answer

OK Philip, I try to read your posts from beginning again. Thanks.

CalifJim · Answer

khoshtipIt seems somewhat complex for me

It is.

khoshtip1- Does the word would, have any unique meaning here?

No. Not exactly. 'would' is a function word. It changes the "flavor" of the words it is used with, but it doesn't have an exact and consistent meaning of its own. It is like the past of 'will', another function word.

khoshtip2- If you replace the words would have sold with some identical other three words, could you do that? If so, what words would you use please?

Be careful with the word 'identical'. It means 'exactly the same'. The only words which are identical to 'would have sold' are 'would have sold'. You mean that you want words that are synonymous (have the same meaning) with 'would have sold', and, as explained above, 'would' is a function word so it has no synonyms.

Try these links for more information:

CJ

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