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 Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:59 am The usage of 'would' |
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I don't like some of the things in your book, duc. 
| Quote: | The sick boy shouted:'' Would I were in good health!''
I think the verb "were'' should be changed into ''be''.Am I right? |
The word "were" is fine in the sentence, but it would be much more common if the boy said "I wish I were in good health" or "I wish I were healthy". The word 'were' is subjunctive and it is used to talk about something that is contrary to fact.
The expression "Would (that) I were ..." is extremely old-fashioned/literary, and I would never expect a boy to use it at all.
| Quote: | I also saw this sentence in a letter:"Would you like to come and stay with us. Don't you think your children would love to visit the countryside?''
I wonder why we use ''would'' instead of ''will''. |
You can use 'would like' as a polite form of 'want':
1. Do you want to come ...
2. Would you like to come ...? =>This is basically a polite form of (1).
The word 'would' can make a sentence more tentative and therefore more polite. The word 'would' is also used to form a conditional future:
The children would love it if they came to the countryside.
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English |
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Yankee
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 16 Apr 2006
Posts: 7464
Location: Northeast US
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| Tue Jan 08, 2008 13:29 pm The usage of 'would' |
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| Yankee wrote: | .
I don't like some of the things in your book, duc.
| Quote: | The sick boy shouted:'' Would I were in good health!''
I think the verb "were'' should be changed into ''be''.Am I right? |
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I agree that that was a terrible sentence, and I agree with Amy's corrections, except I think something needs to be added.
The sentence requires the subordinating conjunction "that".
"Would that I were in good health!" |
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Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 4225
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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| without vs unless | The verb aim... |
