English grammar

Question

um sorry can someone explain to me why they used " would " in that sentence and when we use would ?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

I am not a teacher, so I don't know the standard explanations for verb forms, but I was the one who failed to follow up on your previous post, so I feel guilty and will try to give you a good answer now.

"Would" is conditional. He would feel better if he had an EXP bar. To express that non-conditionally, you might say "He will feel better when he gets an EXP bar."

The topic in grammar here is modality. There is a good treatment here: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/modality-forms?q=modality

CalifJim · Answer

Here are the basic patterns for conditional sentences:

First Conditional: IF ... [present], ... WILL ...
Second Conditional: IF ... [past*], ... WOULD ...
Third Conditional: IF ... HAD [pp], ... WOULD HAVE [pp] ...

*was in this position is normally changed to were, though not all speakers make this change.

(pp ~ 'past participle')

thanhdatnguyen thanhdatnguyencan someone explain to me why they used " would " in that sentence

That sentence, repeated below as 1), contains an implicit second conditional.

1) I wish we had EXP bars so I would feel more motivated.
2) We don't have EXP bars.
3) If we had EXP bars, I would feel more motivated.
4) I wish we had EXP bars because if we had EXP bars, I would feel more motivated.

Sentence 1) implies Sentence 2).
Sentence 3) is the (explicit) conditional sentence that explains the cause for the wish expressed in sentence 1).
Sentence 4), which contains sentence 3), makes sentence 1) explicit.

CJ

CalifJim · Answer

thanhdatnguyen thanhdatnguyenwhen do we use "would"?

That's too big a question for a forum post answer. You'll have to read about it in a grammar book.

Here's a list of the uses of 'would' that someone posted some time ago. That may give you a little overview of the topic.

CJ

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