When "would" means future in the past or a formal request for something

[Waiyin Cheng]

Hi, teachers,

I have a confusion the meaning between "would" means future in the past and a formal request for something. How can I know the which meaning of would in a sentences ?

For examples :
my life would suck without you.
I'd like a white coffee.
I'd die for you.
what would you like ?
I would go to school.

[Beeesneees]

The only way to tell is to look at the rest of the context of the sentence.

My life would suck without you is obviously not a request.
I would like a white coffee is a request for a coffee.
_________________
Cheers m' dears!

[Waiyin Cheng]

yes, Beesness, but beside the request, "would" has a lot of meaning "future in the past" is one of them. "my life would suck without you" -> do you think its meaning is future in the past ?. I am not sure ? The variety meaning of "would" make me confused. could you analyze for me more about the meaning of would ?

[Mordant]

My life would suck without you. = I guess that my life would be miserable if you were not with me.

It does refer to how the speaker's future or present would be without the person.

My life would have sucked without you. - This speculates how the past would change without the other person.

[Waiyin Cheng]

Hi, Mordant
So, you said that "would" can be used to refer future and present, I wondered why they don't use "will" ?
Now, "would" can be used as "future in the past", formal request, hypothesis. beside these 3 kind of using "would", do we have more kind of using "would" ?
because the "would" can be expressed to many differentof meaning. For ex : My life would suck without you, how can i know it is a hypothesis meaning for the present or future ?. Not what happened in the past.
I'd die for you = I could/would die for you -> a possibility (not hypothesis , not in the past, not formal request).
The different using of "would" brings a different way to understand them. What's the key to help me understanding exactly what the speakers say ?

[Mordant]

"Will" would indicate certain separation from the person in the future. The speaker does not expect that they will separate. The speaker is merely guessing what life would be like if such an event occurred.

Another use of "would" is a direct synonym for "used to." It indicates habitual action in the past. I would ride my bike in the summer as a child. This sort of sentence is usually contained within an account of the past. That should help you decide.

Context is key. Although a sentence such as "My life would suck without you" would generally be hypothetical, it could also refer to habitual action in the past. Perhaps I am relating an account and telling you that life habitually sucked whenever you left me.

I remember when you enlisted in the military, Frank. Oh, I used to be so happy when you came home. You don't know the misery I endured when you were gone. I'd cry and cry and cry. Truly, my life would suck without you. Then you would come back, and everything would get better until you left again.

Without that context, though, it will be taken as hypothetical.

"I would die for you" is indeed hypothetical. Certainly, it does not indicate an event that has happened or definitely will. This is pure speculation about what the person would do given certain unstated circumstances. That is the heart of conjecture.

[Waiyin Cheng]

Mordant, Thanks for your explanation. So the key to understand is base on the meaning of the context. No any other way. Let me sum up the meaning of would : "used to", "possibility", "formal request", "future in the past", "hypothetical" -> total 5 ways to understand the "would" meaning and need to base on the context to understand. :-)

[Waiyin Cheng]

it a little difficulty to understand that "I would die for you" is hypothetical because in some cases, the would and could are interchange with the meaning of possibility. could it be re-written "I could die for you ? ". Help me to distinguish them ?
For ex :
if you told me to cry for you, I would
if you told me to die for you, I could

[Mordant]

[Waiyin Cheng]

hi, Mordant,
I got your first point about the willingness.
The second point is about why I cannot replace "I would" with "I will". Sorry It seems I cannot catch it. Could you explain it more or in another way ? thanks a lot.

[Mordant]

[Waiyin Cheng]

Hi, Morant. your point is "I would" is likely more certain than "I will" right ?
I will go shopping tomorrow, just a possibility (maybe yes, maybe no).
I am going shopping : my plan , i am planing to do that
I would go shopping ? how about that ? does it more certain than the others ?

[Mordant]

My point is precisely the opposite. "Will" is more certain than "would."

The first shopping sentence is equivalent to the second. The third is less certain than those. It implies that some sort of condition would need to be met in order for that to happen.

I will buy a car. - This is going to happen.

I would buy a car. - This is not certain. Perhaps you mean you would buy a car if you had better credit or a better-paying job.

[Waiyin Cheng]

ok, thanks Mordant. I got it.
But I think using present continuous tense is more certain than the future tense with will. Some grammar books point out that these 2 tenses are not equivalent.
"I am going to tell her what you did" is more certain than "I will go to tell her what you did".

[Mr. Learner]

hi,

i would like to know when do you add the word "up" for after a verb example is "Listen up!" or "Speak up!"

is it ungrammatical to simply write / or say Listen. or Speak.

thanks for any comments you might give

mr. learner