Would vs Used to

Question

Hi . I need a clear explanation or illustration of the difference between : "would" and "used to" with illustrating examples . Many thanks in advance .

Dave_anon · Accepted Answer

Hi

- On hot summer evenings, Paris 1997, I would go to the park

- On hot summer evenings, Paris 1997, I used to go to the park

These two are very similar: around that time you went to the park on a number of occasions

The first sentence suggests that you did it because you wanted to: you often thought "I'd like to go for a walk in the park" and so you did

The second just says that you did it - maybe, for example, because you couldn't think of anything else to do

Dave

CalifJim · Answer

nid01I need a clear explanation or illustration of the difference between : "would" and "used to" with illustrating examples .

There are many uses of "would", so I am assuming you are particularly interested only with its use as a near synonym of "used to" for now.

In short, both expressions express habitual situations in the past. "used to" can be used with virtually all verbs, including verbs that express a state; "would" is used only with dynamic verbs (verbs that show an action).

See

CJ

Dave_anon · Answer

Hi

What would be a stative verb that doesn't go with "would"? ...

- I used to go to the park and I would hate the sound of the dogs
- Joan would argue with me and I would disagree with everything
- At other times, I would believe everything she said
- She'd insult me and I would deserve every word
- Then I would be calm

I'm in danger of writing a song here - seriously - how does "would" not go with a verb that expresses state?

Dave

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CalifJim · Answer

dave_anon I used to go to the park and I would hate the sound of the dogs

'would hate' sounds wrong to me.

dave_anonJoan would argue with me and I would disagree with everything

'would disagree' sounds like a verb of action to me. You have to take the action of speaking in order to disagree. So I see no problem with this one.

dave_anonAt other times, I would believe everything she said

Strangely, this one works. Maybe because the belief is related to the action of saying something.

dave_anonShe'd insult me and I would deserve every word

'would deserve' sounds conditional to me rather than habitual past. (If she insulted me, I would deserve it.) There is some overlap here. Also, as above, it may be related to the action verb 'insult'.

dave_anonThen I would be calm

This one also works, but as a continuation of the same thoughts as above.
________________

So do you think I should go back to the drawing board with this idea?
Please let me know if you see a better way of explaining how 'would' doesn't work in some cases. What, if not the verb type, makes it not work sometimes?

Your explanation will have to take the following data into account.

I [*would / used to] have a brother, but he died.
Chicago? I [*would / used to] live there as a child.
What happened to all the laundry detergent? This container [*would / used to] be full.

I'm suspicious that coordinating the stative verb with a dynamic one (e.g., using 'and') cancels the 'rule'.

CJ

Dave_anon · Answer

Hi

I would say that "would" and "used to" are modal auxiliaries that (a) affect the tense and (b) affect the mood

So far as the tense goes, I think we agree: it's something that happened quite a few times in the past

I'd say that the verb "will / would" is an auxiliary - literally - of the will. It shows that the person put some thought or emotion into it

On the other hand "used to" is an auxiliary that just says it's what you're used to - it is just as things happen

To take your examples:

- I would have a brother, but he died
That sounds a little strange to me: no one has power over that

- I used to have a brother, but he died
That sounds OK

- Chicago, I used to live there as a child
I didn't have much choice in the matter - I was a child

- Chicago, the 1990s, I would live there in the summer
Because of my job, that's what I chose to do

- Take your grandfather down the park, it's what he would like
- Take your grandfather down the park, it's what he used to like

Dave

CalifJim · Answer

dave_anon- Chicago, I used to live there as a child
I didn't have much choice in the matter - I was a child

- Chicago, the 1990s, I would live there in the summer
Because of my job, that's what I chose to do

We are embarked on different projects, so naturally the results will be different.

You want to explain the meaning of 'used to' in one sentence, and then the meaning of 'would' in a different sentence.

I want to explain why there are sentences where 'used to' cannot be replaced by 'would' without changing the meaning or making a nonsense sentence. For example, I want to know (so I can tell a learner) why 1, below, is fine, and 2 is not — when we intend both to have the same past habitual meaning.

1 I used to live in Chicago as a child.
2 I would live in Chicago as a child.

CJ

Dave_anon · Answer

Hi

1 I used to live in Chicago as a child.
2 I would live in Chicago as a child.

Sorry, perhaps I was too brief or too polemic

1) works because "used to" does not necessarily involve the person's will or desire. It is just something they used to do. As a child, they had no say in the matter - they used to live in Chicago

2) doesn't work because it suggests that the child was saying to itself "Hey, as a child, I think I'll live in Chicago". The auxiliary verb "would" here suggests a voluntary action but in fact the child has no choice

However, my previous sentence does work because, as an adult, you can choose to live where you want:

- Chicago, the 1990s, I would live there in the summer

I liked your suggestion of stative vs non-stative (and I would hate to disagree with you!) but I think it is to do with whether the person - as a person - has any control over what is happening

- Every summer I would go to Spain (even though my father told me I shouldn't)
- Every summer I used to go to Spain (only because my father insisted I should)

Dave :-)

CalifJim · Answer

OK. Fair enough. I will have to think about this for a while. For now I'll have to get some dinner or I'll starve!

Maybe I can come up with some counterexamples later.

CJ

Dave_anon · Answer

Yeah - go for it

It's nearly 2 o'clock in the morning here, so I must sleep

Dave

Perfect Stranger · Answer

A good topic indeed! I'm subscribing to it!

Would vs Used to

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