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Anonymous Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Why do we use the word "would" in stories when it already happened?

Why do we say "When I was a child, I would go to the swimming pool to have fun" sometimes instead of "When I was a child, I went to the swimming pool to have fun." Or "My dad would always cook us pizza." I am trying to clarify why we use the word "would" when it already did in fact happen. Would is usually used when we have an option to do or to do not, but in this case, it already happened and is 100%, so why use the word "would" in these types of stories? I am totally stumped. Please help!
  

Top answer

“I would go to the swimming pool” means “I was in the habit of going…” or perhaps “I enjoyed going to…” or even “I often went” – all express a repeated and voluntary/enjoyable experience. It sometimes indicates that it no longer happens. Perhaps it was suitable back then but not now.

— Wilpeter

  • “I would go to the swimming pool” means “I was in the habit of going…” or perhaps “I enjoyed going to…” or even “I often went” – all express a repeated and voluntary/enjoyable experience.
  • It sometimes indicates that it no longer happens.
  • Perhaps it was suitable back then but not now.
  • The opposite – “I would seldom go” or “I would never go” rather than “I didn’t go” – implies that there was a good reason for it not having happened that isn’t included in the simple past.
  • That's my take on it.
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1 Answers
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“I would go to the swimming pool” means “I was in the habit of going…” or perhaps “I enjoyed going to…” or even “I often went” – all express a repeated and voluntary/enjoyable experience. It sometimes indicates that it no longer happens. Perhaps it was suitable back then but not now.
The opposite – “I would seldom go” or “I would never go” rather than “I didn’t go” – implies that there was
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