Would

Question

Would you please explain this to me? This is about telling a story about past events, and my guess is that in here "would" is past of "will", but I don't understand the structure. Instead of that I would say :"Here and there I stumbled over some words ... ". I used past simple, but if "would" is better in here or is correct, please explain the structure.

"This afternoon, as I gave my second lecture, I found my thought process a bit sluggish. Here and there I would stumble over a word, mispronounce something, or formulate an awkward sentence."

RandomGuy · Accepted Answer

It's used to express frequent actions in the past (stumbling, mispronouncing …). Your version is also correct and wouldn't change the meaning of the sentence, just the effect. I'd leave would alone.

USF · Answer

Thank you <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>, but is it formal? I haven't seen that structure. Perhaps I haven't studied carefully, could you help me to understand the grammar so I could use it in similar situations?

RandomGuy · Answer

It's not all that formal, but you're more likely to read it in narratives than hear it in everyday conversation. The reason that I said that the omission of would wouldn't change the meaning is that there are already enough indications that the actions happened throughout the lecture.

This afternoon, as I gave my second lecture, I found my thought process a bit sluggish. Here and there I ~~would~~ stumbled over a word, mispronounced something, or formulated an awkward sentence.

However, there are times when would is needed.

When I gave my second lecture, I stumbled over a word, mispronounced something, or formulated an awkward sentence.

For all we know, those things could have happened once. Would is needed to show that they happened repeatedly.

Would has another function, which is similar to used to, both of which are used to express past habits and routines. Sometimes they are interchangeable:

I would harass my neighbors when I was bored.
I used to harass my neighbors when I was bored.

But unlike used to, would can't be used for past possessions, states, etc.

I used to be a daredevil. correct
I would be a daredevil. incorrect

I used to have a parrot. correct
I would have a parrot. incorrect

USF · Answer

Thanks. That was an excellent explanation. <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

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