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Jack112 Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Would or Was
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/8579490/Area-51-the-plane-truth.html
Are these sentences correct?
1. By about 3pm on a Wednesday, the pit would be full, and the base security staff would supervise as a tanker from the on-site fuel depot squirted gallons of diesel into the pit.
2. By about 3pm on a Wednesday, the pit was full, and the base security staff had to supervise as a tanker from the on-site fuel depot squirted gallons of diesel into the pit. <- Does this sentence have the same meaning as #1. When do I use 'would' and when do I use 'was' ?
Thanks
Are these sentences correct?
1. By about 3pm on a Wednesday, the pit would be full, and the base security staff would supervise as a tanker from the on-site fuel depot squirted gallons of diesel into the pit.
2. By about 3pm on a Wednesday, the pit was full, and the base security staff had to supervise as a tanker from the on-site fuel depot squirted gallons of diesel into the pit. <- Does this sentence have the same meaning as #1. When do I use 'would' and when do I use 'was' ?
Thanks
Top answer
Both sound fine to me. Maybe a slight difference, if the sentence refers to the future, we use would; if it refers to the present, we use the simple past form of the verb.
- Both sound fine to me.
- Maybe a slight difference, if the sentence refers to the future, we use would; if it refers to the present, we use the simple past form of the verb.
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6 Answers
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Both sound fine to me.
Maybe a slight difference, if the sentence refers to the future, we use would; if it refers to the present, we use the simple past form of the verb.
Maybe a slight difference, if the sentence refers to the future, we use would; if it refers to the present, we use the simple past form of the verb.
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'Would' tells us that the action happened habitually.
When I was a student I would often stay up all night chatting with friends.
The simple past gives no implication of habitual action.
Both of your senetnce would be acceptable in the article, with the difference in meaning noted. Only the second is possible if we are talking about one specific Wednesday.
When I was a student I would often stay up all night chatting with friends.
The simple past gives no implication of habitual action.
Both of your senetnce would be acceptable in the article, with the difference in meaning noted. Only the second is possible if we are talking about one specific Wednesday.
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It seems to me that he changed his mind mid-sentence and continued as if he had said "on Wednesdays".
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IvanhrIt seems to me that he changed his mind mid-sentence and continued as if he had said "on Wednesdays".'On a Wednesday' is fine in British English, if a little informal.
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there is a 'by' at the beginning of your sentence.so I guess the first one using 'would' would be more reasonable.
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simonlearnenglishthere is a 'by' at the beginning of your sentence.so I guess the first one using 'would' would be more reasonable.It would make no difference to the verb in this sentence if the preposition were 'at.
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