0
Ryotaro Posted 15 years ago
Vocabulary

Would or did

1) You wouldn't let me get by you.

2) You didn't let me get by you.

(the person complains that he was blocked his way)

What is the difference between 1) and 2)?

Why sometimes "would" is used for past tence? When do you use it?

Thanks,

Ryo
  

Top answer

Will and would are forms of a verb (willan) which used to mean "to want" in Old English. This meaning has been preserved in a weakened form in some uses of modern will and would . Thus You wouldn't let me get by you can be interpreted to mean: You didn't want to let me get by you .

— Cool Breeze

  • Will and would are forms of a verb (willan) which used to mean "to want" in Old English.
  • This meaning has been preserved in a weakened form in some uses of modern will and would .
  • Thus You wouldn't let me get by you can be interpreted to mean: You didn't want to let me get by you .
  • As the Germanic languages share their roots, the old meaning is very common in modern Swedish, for example: Jag vill inte göra det.
  • ) The spelling is slightly different, though.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

1 Answers
0
Will and would are forms of a verb (willan) which used to mean "to want" in Old English. This meaning has been preserved in a weakened form in some uses of modern will and would. Thus You wouldn't let me get by you can be interpreted to mean: You didn't want to let me get by you.

As the Germanic languages share their roots, the old meaning
0

Related Questions