Modal verb: Would

example situation:

 He would need to get a break....










Would is another auxiliary verb, a modal auxiliary verb.
We use would mainly:

•  when we imagine a situation or action (like thinking to something that is not real):                                                                                                                            - It would be beautiful to live in a caste;                                                               - I would love to go on the moon;                                                                           - I would like to live in Spain 

• when would/wouldn't is the past of will/won't.                                    example:                                                                                                                                - I'll phone you on Saturday / He said he would phone on Saturday.                                                                                                                              - I promise I'll be on time / She promised she wouldn't be late

• in sentences with if:                                                                                                          - I would phone her if I had her number;                                                             - I would have phoned you if I had had her number                                   ..we will get back to this forms in some next Units..

• when we imagine actions or situations in the past that didn't happened:          - I didn't tell your brother you didn't go to school, he would have not been happy ;                                                                                                                                     - I am happy it didn't rain, otherwise the pic-nic would have been canceled.

COMPARE: 
Would (do) and Would have (done)
- I would invite Brian to my party, but he doesn't get along well with my sister after they broke up.. (now)
- I would have invited Brian to my party, but he wasn't a good situation for my sister too see him at the party..
(in the past) 

- I would cut my hair, if I have time. (now)
- I would have cut my hair, if I'd had time. (past) 


BUT:
We tend to use would especially when reminiscing about the past, telling a story or recollecting some regular or repeated thing we did long ago.

"When I was a child, we would visit my grandmother every Sunday afternoon. I would sit on my grandmother's knee and she'd sing me a song."

'Would' is more restricted in use than 'used to'.
..we will see these form in the next post..

Stay tuned!