How about you?

[metal56]

It seems that some AE speakers either don't use or (often additionally) don't like the use of the modal here:


"I told him it was dangerous to climb so high, but he WOULD do it."


How about you?

[Andrew Patterson]

What's an AE speaker?

[metal56]

What's an AE speaker?

Erm...American English.

[revel]

Hey there!

If he climbed so high despite my advice, then I probably would have said:

I told him not to climb so high, but he did anyway.

Your example makes my brain focus more on his disregard for my advice than the advice itself. I have heard this in American English, for example:

You would have to be so contrary, wouldn't you?

But, as always, my excuse is that I haven't spoken American English for fifteen years and some things that once "sounded" or "seemed" right I'm now not so sure of....

(by the way, I am American....by passport at least for now!)

peace,
revel.

[SD]

It seems that some AE speakers either don't use or (often additionally) don't like the use of the modal here:


"I told him it was dangerous to climb so high, but he WOULD do it."


How about you?

I understand that usage of "would" and I am an AE speaker.

With more context it would clear how "would" can be used to mean "was" or "were". I think some may find it odd because they can't envision a reason to use "would" there.

How about if we add a little more to it? I think it seems more apparent what "would" is doing there with just a little more added on.

"I told him it was dangerous to climb so high, but he WOULD do it." "And he would come to regret not having heeded my warning."

Here's an example of how it could be used. The last blank can be filled in with "was" and "would be". It may or may not dawn on one that "would be" is possible in the last blank as well as "was".

When King (step)__________ out onto the balcony (take) ________ a breath of fresh air after (eat) ___________ his dinner, a shot (ring) __________ out. The civil rights leader and Nobel-prizewinner, the man who (preach) _____________ non-violence, (fall) _______ to the ground, fatally (wound) _____________ . Within minutes he (be) ________ dead.

http://linguapress.bravepages.com/king.htm#eradicate

[SD]

Hey there!

If he climbed so high despite my advice, then I probably would have said:

I told him not to climb so high, but he did anyway.

Your example makes my brain focus more on his disregard for my advice than the advice itself. I have heard this in American English, for example:

You would have to be so contrary, wouldn't you?

But, as always, my excuse is that I haven't spoken American English for fifteen years and some things that once "sounded" or "seemed" right I'm now not so sure of....

(by the way, I am American....by passport at least for now!)

peace,
revel.

Your example makes my brain focus more on his disregard for my advice than the advice itself.

Yes, I can see that. It's as if to say, "but he did it anyway even though I warned him about it".

[metal56]

Hey there!

If he climbed so high despite my advice, then I probably would have said:

I told him not to climb so high, but he did anyway.

Your example makes my brain focus more on his disregard for my advice than the advice itself. I have heard this in American English, for example:

You would have to be so contrary, wouldn't you?

But, as always, my excuse is that I haven't spoken American English for fifteen years and some things that once "sounded" or "seemed" right I'm now not so sure of....

(by the way, I am American....by passport at least for now!)

peace,
revel.

I knows you'se Amerikan, tio.

Seems you chaps also don't take well to:

He will keep climbing so high even though I've warned him against it a thousand times.

[SD]

Hey there!

If he climbed so high despite my advice, then I probably would have said:

I told him not to climb so high, but he did anyway.

Your example makes my brain focus more on his disregard for my advice than the advice itself. I have heard this in American English, for example:

You would have to be so contrary, wouldn't you?

But, as always, my excuse is that I haven't spoken American English for fifteen years and some things that once "sounded" or "seemed" right I'm now not so sure of....

(by the way, I am American....by passport at least for now!)

peace,
revel.

I knows you'se Amerikan, tio.

Seems you chaps also don't take well to:

He will keep climbing so high even though I've warned him against it a thousand times.

Yes, that's easy to understand. He'll keep doing it because that can be expected of him for some reason.

Those uses of "would" and "will" are perfectly fine with me and I would even use them myself. And I do, though I can't say just h0w often. The use of "would be" in place of "was" or "were", for example, to me sounds more like narrative or written language, though it could very well be spoken as well.

Is it online or offline that you have encountered puzzled attitudes about these uses of "would" and "will" from AE speakers?

[metal56]

It seems that some AE speakers either don't use or (often additionally) don't like the use of the modal here:


"I told him it was dangerous to climb so high, but he WOULD do it."


How about you?

I understand that usage of "would" and I am an AE speaker.

With more context it would clear how "would" can be used to mean "was" or "were". I think some may find it odd because they can't envision a reason to use "would" there.

How about if we add a little more to it? I think it seems more apparent what "would" is doing there with just a little more added on.

"I told him it was dangerous to climb so high, but he WOULD do it." "And he would come to regret not having heeded my warning."

Here's an example of how it could be used. The last blank can be filled in with "was" and "would be". It may or may not dawn on one that "would be" is possible in the last blank as well as "was".

When King (step)__________ out onto the balcony (take) ________ a breath of fresh air after (eat) ___________ his dinner, a shot (ring) __________ out. The civil rights leader and Nobel-prizewinner, the man who (preach) _____________ non-violence, (fall) _______ to the ground, fatally (wound) _____________ . Within minutes he (be) ________ dead.

http://linguapress.bravepages.com/king.htm#eradicate

Thanks for that, SD. I'm afraid I see the use of would in my example as different to your reading of it. There the modal auxiliary is expressing disbelief at another's insistence, stubborness etc.

Similar to "He would always play that damn music a t 4 in the morning".

or:

"If you will smoke so much, you will always feel chesty."

Two different use of "will" there. The first is of volition and the second is epistemic.

[metal56]

Those uses of "would" and "will" are perfectly fine with me and I would even use them myself. And I do, though I can't say just h0w often. The use of "would be" in place of "was" or "were", for example, to me sounds more like narrative or written language, though it could very well be spoken as well.

Thanks again.

Is it online or offline that you have encountered puzzled attitudes about these uses of "would" and "will" from AE speakers?

Only online, and quite adamant they were about it not being common in AE.

[SD]

It seems that some AE speakers either don't use or (often additionally) don't like the use of the modal here:


"I told him it was dangerous to climb so high, but he WOULD do it."


How about you?

I understand that usage of "would" and I am an AE speaker.

With more context it would clear how "would" can be used to mean "was" or "were". I think some may find it odd because they can't envision a reason to use "would" there.

How about if we add a little more to it? I think it seems more apparent what "would" is doing there with just a little more added on.

"I told him it was dangerous to climb so high, but he WOULD do it." "And he would come to regret not having heeded my warning."

Here's an example of how it could be used. The last blank can be filled in with "was" and "would be". It may or may not dawn on one that "would be" is possible in the last blank as well as "was".

When King (step)__________ out onto the balcony (take) ________ a breath of fresh air after (eat) ___________ his dinner, a shot (ring) __________ out. The civil rights leader and Nobel-prizewinner, the man who (preach) _____________ non-violence, (fall) _______ to the ground, fatally (wound) _____________ . Within minutes he (be) ________ dead.

http://linguapress.bravepages.com/king.htm#eradicate

Thanks for that, SD. I'm afraid I see the use of would in my example as different to your reading of it. There the modal auxiliary is expressing disbelief at another's insistence, stubborness etc.

Similar to "He would always play that damn music a t 4 in the morning".

or:

"If you will smoke so much, you will always feel chesty."

Two different use of "will" there. The first is of volition and the second is epistemic.

I understand how you see the use of "would" in your examples. I guess I was just taking into consideration the whole idea of "would" starting at one point in the past and proceeding to another point in the past. The action may or may not be completed in the past depending on the context.

[SD]

It seems that some AE speakers either don't use or (often additionally) don't like the use of the modal here:


"I told him it was dangerous to climb so high, but he WOULD do it."


How about you?

I understand that usage of "would" and I am an AE speaker.

With more context it would clear how "would" can be used to mean "was" or "were". I think some may find it odd because they can't envision a reason to use "would" there.

How about if we add a little more to it? I think it seems more apparent what "would" is doing there with just a little more added on.

"I told him it was dangerous to climb so high, but he WOULD do it." "And he would come to regret not having heeded my warning."

Here's an example of how it could be used. The last blank can be filled in with "was" and "would be". It may or may not dawn on one that "would be" is possible in the last blank as well as "was".

When King (step)__________ out onto the balcony (take) ________ a breath of fresh air after (eat) ___________ his dinner, a shot (ring) __________ out. The civil rights leader and Nobel-prizewinner, the man who (preach) _____________ non-violence, (fall) _______ to the ground, fatally (wound) _____________ . Within minutes he (be) ________ dead.

http://linguapress.bravepages.com/king.htm#eradicate

Thanks for that, SD. I'm afraid I see the use of would in my example as different to your reading of it. There the modal auxiliary is expressing disbelief at another's insistence, stubborness etc.

Similar to "He would always play that damn music a t 4 in the morning".

or:

"If you will smoke so much, you will always feel chesty."

Two different use of "will" there. The first is of volition and the second is epistemic.

I understand how you see the use of "would" in your examples. I guess I was just taking into consideration the whole idea of "would" starting at one point in the past and proceeding to another point in the past. The action may or may not be completed in the past depending on the context.