Would do, would have done, would, used to

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  • Post category:grammar

1/ When we talk about situation or action that is not real….
In present:
When we imagine something, we use would.
It’s not a real situation or a real action.
I would like to live in London. I can’t, I don’t speak english!
We would like to buy a flat. But in London, it’s too expansive. We live in suburb!
In the past:
When we imagine something in the PAST, we use would have (done).
The situation or the action didn’t happen.
Our parents gave us 50.000 euros. We don’t know what we would have bought without their help.

2/ If + would
if introduce the second part of the sentence…
I would call you, if I had your number.
I would have called you, if I would had your number.

3/ When we talk about situation that happened regularly in the past:
When I was young, in summer, we would eat in the garden, when the weather was sunny.

would
is synonymous with used to!
would <=> used to
When Peter was young, he would play soccer! <=> he used to play soccer!
When I was young, I would play piano. <=> I used to play piano!

4/ Contraction:
Would => ‘d
He would like … => He’d like …

5/ Negative form:would NOT or wouldn’t:
We refuse something in the past.
I would not lie to him. => I’d lie to him.
My computer wouldn’t start this morning at the office.

WOULD: