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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
The usage of "would"
If I had to choose among them, that would be Tom.
VS.
A : Somebody is at the door.
B : That would be Tom.
Hello, teacher. I really need your help. In my text book, the usage of "would" is different as the former one is used for a subjunctive past but the latter one is for a guessing auxiliary. I also agree with it, but I am sure if native English speakers also think so. Do really you distinguish in using "would" like this? Thank you and I can't wait hear from you.
VS.
A : Somebody is at the door.
B : That would be Tom.
Hello, teacher. I really need your help. In my text book, the usage of "would" is different as the former one is used for a subjunctive past but the latter one is for a guessing auxiliary. I also agree with it, but I am sure if native English speakers also think so. Do really you distinguish in using "would" like this? Thank you and I can't wait hear from you.
Top answer
-- This is conditional II (present), not subjunctive. A : Somebody is at the door. B : That would be Tom.
- -- This is conditional II (present), not subjunctive.
- A : Somebody is at the door.
- B : That would be Tom.
- -- Yes, a 'guessing auxiliary', used for predictions.
- Yes, I use both commonly.
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19 Answers
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If I had to choose among them, that would be Tom.-- This is conditional II (present), not subjunctive.
A : Somebody is at the door. B : That would be Tom. -- Yes, a 'guessing auxiliary', used for predictions. Yes, I use both commonly.
A : Somebody is at the door. B : That would be Tom. -- Yes, a 'guessing auxiliary', used for predictions. Yes, I use both commonly.
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The 'past-tense' form of most verbs, including the modals, distances the situations referred to in:
time: George will sit at his computer for hours
....... George would sit at his computer for hours until he discovered girls.
reality/probability: I hope he will come.
time: George will sit at his computer for hours
....... George would sit at his computer for hours until he discovered girls.
reality/probability: I hope he will come.
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Thank you sir. You mean both are fine but different, right? but can the meaning of "conditional" imply that of subjunctive?
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AnonymousYou mean both are fine but different, right? but can the meaning of "conditional" imply that of subjunctive?Right: fine and different.
Conditionals are sentence forms which sometimes utilize subjunctive verb forms. Yours does not.
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Anonymousif native English speakers ... Do really you distinguish in using "would" like this?I distinguish only in the sense that I feel that these are two different uses of the word "would". Yes.
Personally, I don't use "would" as in your second example. I say, "It's probably Tom".
CJ
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Wow. Great and shocking. I have known that both are the same and now I know that "subjunctive" just means "were" or "was". Am I right? Thank you so much. I am free thanks to you.
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Mister Micawber ... subjunctive verb forms. Yours does not.There are so many different opinions on this issue it makes my head spin.
I take it that you are one of those who does not recognize a past subjunctive in English (typical in if-clauses) whose form happens to be identical to the simple past for all verbs except "to be", where it become
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Hello, johnreal—and welcome to English Forums.
Would be is used in the same way that 'would' is used with any other verb (would go, would come, would sit). As you can see above, it is used in Conditional II sentences (which may or may not but probably do contain subjunctive verbs in the main clause) and in predictions ( < knock, knock > 'Oh, that would be Tom!'), and a
Would be is used in the same way that 'would' is used with any other verb (would go, would come, would sit). As you can see above, it is used in Conditional II sentences (which may or may not but probably do contain subjunctive verbs in the main clause) and in predictions ( < knock, knock > 'Oh, that would be Tom!'), and a
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