grammar · neutral

would + base verb

Band 5-6speakingtask2

A modal used for hypothetical results (conditional), past habitual actions, and polite/future-in-past meanings.

Examples

“If I were you, I would apologize.”

“When we were kids, we would spend hours by the river.”

“He said he would arrive at six.”

Band 8 sentence

“If we reduced working hours while maintaining productivity, we would likely see improvements in employee wellbeing.”

Collocations

  • If + past simple, would + base verb
  • would + often / always

Common mistakes

If I will be rich, I would buy a house.→If I were rich, I would buy a house.

When I was a child, I would like football every day.→When I was a child, I would play football every day.

Say it for a higher band

5used to + base verb→6subject + V2 (past simple)→7+would + base verb

Synonyms

used to + base verb

Easily confused

used to + base verb

“I used to live in Hanoi.”

Related words

have / has + past participlesubject + V(s) (simple present)be about to + base verbbe + V-ingso + adjective/adverb + that + clauseIf + present perfect, will + base verbNot only + clause, but also + clausewill have been + V-ing

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In Tenses

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