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jasonlulu_2000
Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 879
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 Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 4:06 pm Post subject: would |
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Do you want a friend who you could tell everything to, like your deepest feelings and thoughts? Or are you afraid that your friend would laugh at you, or would not understand what you are going through?
My question is why the author uses "would" "would not" instead of "will" "will not". I often meet the case where "would" is used in a present situation. I can't sort it out. Please help me out.
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dragn
Joined: 17 Feb 2009
Posts: 450
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| Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 6:39 pm Post subject: |
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| I often meet the case where "would" is used in a present situation. |
That's the problem. It's not a present situation. It's an unreal situation.
"Or are you afraid that your friend would laugh at you (if you told them those things, which exists only as a future possibility because in reality you haven't done that), or would not understand (again, because it's unreal; in reality you haven't told anyone anything) what you are going through?"
At the heart of things lies a Type II conditional, or present conditional (granted, the name is confusing):
If I told my friend my deepest feelings and thoughts, he would laugh at me.
It's just the old "If I had a million dollars, I would buy a new car" routine. (But I don't have a million dollars; I won't buy a new car.)
Hope this makes some sense.
Greg |
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jasonlulu_2000
Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 879
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 3:06 am Post subject: thank you |
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mfyates
Joined: 27 Jun 2011
Posts: 2
Location: Paris
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| Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 8:53 am Post subject: |
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In practice the choice between "would" and "will" for the future can depend upon perceived probability. I would probably say: "If it rains tomorrow it will ruin our picnic." because, at least in a British climate, rain is in the distinct order of things. However if, after a little too much to drink, my imagination flies higher I might say, "If there were a tsunami tomorrow it would certainly spoil our picnic on the beach.", tsunamis, in spite of global warming and the like, remaining a distinctly theoretical event in Brighton.
Some exercises involving conditional forms can be found in my website at http://mark.yates.net/engextra/
Level 6 unit 1
Level 7 units 5 & 6
You may like to look at them.
Mark Yates |
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