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Anonymous Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

would

0Hi,02br
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00I learned and think the modal 'would' is used for these purposes:02br
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001) as a conditional element, 2) past form of the modal "will" and 3) to show repetition in the past02br
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00For the writing below, do a conditional element and the usage as a past form of "will" present? How about no.3? When we see the modal "would" being used in a sentence that has the scenario set in the past, would I be smart to assume it carries a sense of the past although at first and many readings of it may not let me knowt so easily?02br
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00Days later, she experienced pain. By June, her diet was limted to bread and water. Anything else 01u00would02u00 induce the abdominal pain. Thinking that it was her intestine that caused the pain, she went to ... 02br
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00Sorry, why does it have to be plural verbs?02br
02br
001 in 10 Asians are infected with ...02br
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001 in 4 people who have XXX end up ... 0-
  

Top answer

1i 00A) By June, her diet was limited to bread and water. 02i 02br 02br 00I haven't studied English grammar as systematically as you probably have, but to me the sense is 3 (repetition in the past). Look at this alternative:02br 02br 01i 00B) By June, her diet was limited to bread and water.

— Mr Wordy

  • 1i 00A) By June, her diet was limited to bread and water.
  • 02i 02br 02br 00I haven't studied English grammar as systematically as you probably have, but to me the sense is 3 (repetition in the past).
  • Look at this alternative:02br 02br 01i 00B) By June, her diet was limited to bread and water.
  • 02i 02br 02br 00This means that if she ate anything else then she got the pain.
  • If sentence B already means this, then what is the word "would" doing in sentence A?
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14 Answers
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1i00A) By June, her diet was limited to bread and water. Anything else 01u00would02u00 induce the abdominal pain.02i02br
02br
00I haven't studied English grammar as systematically as you probably have, but to me the sense is 3 (repetition in the past). Look at this alternative:02br
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01i00B) By June, her diet
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0 Would: Indicates something 01b00typical 02b00or 01b00repetitive02b00 in the past02br
00------------ 02br
00 # Indicating an action in the past that happened repeatedly or commonly.02br
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00 In the winters, we would sit by the hole on the frozen lake and fish02br
00 for hours.02br
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01cite10Anonymous12cite10For the writing below, 11font11del10do12del10 are both12font10 a conditional element and the usage as a past form of "will" present? How about no.3? When 11font11del10we12del10 I 12font
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0Mr. Wordy,02br
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00Could you help me understand why "the past tense of will" is not likely in the original sentence?02br
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01i00A) By June, her diet was limited to bread and water. Anything else 01u00would02u00 induce the abdominal pain.02i02br
02br
00I haven't studied English grammar as syst
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0>Could you help me understand why "the past tense of will" is not likely in the original sentence?02br
00 CJ is telling you that in his answer:02br
00As past of will: 01i00Anything else 01u00will02u00 induce the pain02i00 01b00in the past becomes02b00 01i00Anything else 01u00
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1blockquote
01cite10New2grammar12cite12br
10Mr. Wordy,12br
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10Could you help me understand why "the past tense of will" is not likely in the original sentence?12br
12br
10[...]12br
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10If I change the tense to present, will is correct, I think.12br
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10Her die
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0MH, CJ said 01b00all three are possible02b00. My question was why Mr. Wordy preferred the repetitive in the past meaning over the others. Sorry if my question isn't clear to you.0-
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0Mr. Wordy, thanks for your attempt. The material you presented is probably beyond my capability to understand at this point. It's an interesting reply. Thank you again.0-
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01cite10New2grammar12cite10MH, CJ said 11b10all three are possible12b10. My question was why Mr. Wordy preferred the repetitive in the past meaning over the others. Sorry if my question isn't clear to you.10Of course, all three are possible. I don't have time to read Mr. Wordy's reply (you must discuss that
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0MH, Thanks for your view. Since any of the three interpretations given by CJ or any combination would work, my problem is I don't know why some people prefer one over another. Of course, I have my own preference too, which is will in the past. This is something I've been trying to point that is difficult for learners to learn. Our preference may not be the same as the natives'. Of course this e
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