the usage of "would"

[LeTyan]

Hi,

The usage of "would" frazzles me a lot. Please explain to me the differences between the comparable sentences below:

1. No one believe he would actually kill himself.
No one believe he actually killed himself.


And also it seems to me that "would" is used a lot more frequently in English than "will", am I right?

 

[LeTyan]

One person doesn't have to explain all the examples:-D

 

[emsr2d2]

One person doesn't have to explain all the examples:-D

We know that but it gets very confusing when one person answers a couple of questions and then someone else answers one etc. That is why we always ask that you post just one question per thread.

 

[LeTyan]

We know that but it gets very confusing when one person answers a couple of questions and then someone else answers one etc. That is why we always ask that you post just one question per thread.

Thanks for the reminder! I have edited it.

 

[emsr2d2]

Hi,

The usage of "would" frazzles me a lot. Please explain to me the differences between the comparable sentences below:

1. No-one believed he would actually kill himself.
2. No-one believes he actually killed himself.


And also it seems to me that "would" is used a lot more frequently in English than "will", am I right?

Firstly, note the corrections I have made to the verb "believe" in both your sentences. I have now numbered them 1 & 2 for clarity.

Sentence 1 means that before he killed himself, no-one thought that suicide was a likely outcome.
Sentence 2 means that no-one thinks that it is true that he has killed himself. The assumption is that he did kill himself but, for reasons unknown, people think this isn't true.

Note that "no-one" (with the hyphen) takes the third person singular ending.

 

[LeTyan]

Firstly, note the corrections I have made to the verb "believe" in both your sentences. I have now numbered them 1 & 2 for clarity.

Sentence 1 means that before he killed himself, no-one thought that suicide was a likely outcome.
Sentence 2 means that no-one thinks that it is true that he has killed himself. The assumption is that he did kill himself but, for reasons unknown, people think this isn't true.

Note that "no-one" (with the hyphen) takes the third person singular ending.

So basically "no-one believes he would kill himself" shouldn't sound right. Am I right?

 

[emsr2d2]

So basically "No-one believes he would kill himself" [strike]shouldn't[/strike] doesn't/wouldn't/won't sound right. Am I right?

Yes, you are right. Remember to capitalise the first letter of a quote when the quote is a full sentence.

 

[anhnha]

Is this correct:
Direct speech: No-one believes he will actually kill himself.
Indirect speech: No-one believed he would actually kill himself.

 

[emsr2d2]

Is this correct:
Direct speech: No-one believes he will actually kill himself.
Indirect speech: No-one believed he would actually kill himself.

Correct.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Firstly, note the corrections I have made to the verb "believe" in both your sentences. I have now numbered them 1 & 2 for clarity.

Sentence 1 means that before he killed himself, no-one thought that suicide was a likely outcome.
Sentence 2 means that no-one thinks that it is true that he has killed himself. The assumption is that he did kill himself but, for reasons unknown, people think this isn't true.

Note that "no-one" (with the hyphen) takes the third person singular ending.

Is "no one" usually hyphenated in BrE? It is usually two separate words in AmE.