How do you use would

You could study harder than you do. He knew the sunset could be spectacular. I could be wrong. Could you come over here, please? In conclusion, you could use these three auxiliaries if you would, and you should! Would, Should, Could. Would Technically, would is the past tense of will , but it is an auxiliary verb that has many uses, some of which even express the present tense.

It can be used in the following ways: To ask questions: Would you like some coleslaw? With who , what , when , where , why , how : How would the neighbors react? To make polite requests: I would like more coleslaw, please. To show a different response if the past had been different: I would have helped you if I had known you were stranded. To tone down strong, controversial statements-not recommended in formal essays: I would have to say that you're acting a bit immature.

To explain an outcome to a hypothetical situation: Should I win a million dollars, I would fix up my house. To show habitual past action: Helen would sob whenever John would leave home. To show repetitive past action: For a moment the plane would be airborne, then it would bump back down along the hard earth. To show preference between two choices, used with rather or sooner: I would sooner die than face them.

However, the second choice may by implied but not stated: I would rather die. To show wish or desire: Those people would allow gambling. To show intention or plan: She said she would come. To show choice: I would put off the test if I could. To express doubt: The answer would seem to be correct. To show future likelihoods relative to past action: He calculated that he would get to the camp around 6 p. Strange but true: Notice how changing have to had can change the way would works: Would you had changed your mind.

Should Technically, should is the past tense of shall , but it is an auxiliary verb with a few uses, not all of which are in the past tense, namely, the following: To ask questions: Should you have erased the disk? To show obligation: You should floss and brush your teeth after every meal.

To show a possible future event: If I should find your coat, I will be sure to call you. To express what is likely: With an early start, they should be here by noon. To politely express a request or direct statement: I should like to go home now. Could Technically, could is the past tense of can, but it is an auxiliary verb with a few uses, not all of which are in the past tense, namely the following: As the past tense of can: In those days, all the people could build houses.

To ask questions: Could you have erased the disk? We often use would to express the so-called second and third conditionals:. Using the same conditional structure, we often use would when giving advice:. Sometimes the condition is "understood" and there does not have to be an "if" clause:.

This rare, poetic or literary use of would does not have the normal structure:. There is only one form: would The main verb is usually in the base form He would go. Would you help? When I lived in Japan, I would take Japanese lessons three times a week.

Read more about habits in the past here. We can also use 'will' for typical behaviour or habits in the present, though this is much less common than using 'would' for the past. An example in the present is 'she'll talk and talk for hours! The meaning is the same for both, but a request with 'would' is more polite than a request with 'will'.

Will you please help me? Would you please help me? If I had enough money, I would travel around the world. If we lived in Madrid, we would study Spanish.

Read more about the second conditional here. If I had gone to bed earlier, I wouldn't have been so tired. If the train hadn't been late, we would have arrived on time.