[Grammar] Would with the meaning of probability in the past

[Kotfor]

You have a long way to go.I once carried out an informal survey of 30 books by, in total, 45 writers to see how they described the ways in which the Present Simple is used. I came up with 59 different usages! (I'll PM you the list if you are interested). If you have to master 59 different usages for just one tense, you are faced with a hopeless task.

I would definitely enjoy this list of usages. Please, send it to me. I am sure that "Endless learning is better than endless ignorance."

 

[Kotfor]

Dear teachers and other interested ones,

Could you explain why you find this context appropriate for this usage of WOULD

Written by Barb_D
The only time I can imagine using it that way is if we were looking at a picture from the past.

Look, you can see Fuzzy is just a kitten, and we got him in 1972, so that would make me 6 or so, and you would be... 17? Could that be right?

Any others situations which would fit? Any more explanations? As i don't quite understand why you find this photo situation acceptable while the real life situations don't.

 

[5jj]

We have explained why we, unlike Hornby, would not use 'would be' for a past state.

When we are looking at a photograph, we know that the events captured happened in the past, but we can view them as going on before us.

"What's Fritz doing there? Oh yes, he's trying to attract Mary's attention, but she's ignoring him. How old is Mary here? She still has long hair, but she's wearing her grammar school uniform so I suppose she would be twelve."

 

[Kotfor]

fivejedjon, thanks.

We have explained why we, unlike Hornby, would not use 'would be' for a past state.

I, more or less, understood why it's not used now.

When we are looking at a photograph, we know that the events captured happened in the past, but we can view them as going on before us.

This photograph example gives a me hard time.

"What's Fritz doing there? Oh yes, he's trying to attract Mary's attention, but she's ignoring him. How old is Mary here? She still has long hair, but she's wearing her grammar school uniform so I suppose she would be twelve."

Shall I compare it with historical present expressed by means of Present Simple describing some actions in the past?

- He comes to me and says: “What’s you name?” I say: “Steve.”

I think it is pretty much the same with “would”, that is, technically it doesn’t refer to the past but it can refer to the past in the semantic way.

 

[5jj]

This photograph example gives a me hard time.

Shall I compare it with historical present expressed by means of Present Simple describing some actions in the past?

Some writers consider 'photo-caption' and 'newspaper headline' uses of the present tense to be types of 'Historic Present'

I think it is pretty much the same with “would”, that is, technically it doesn’t refer to the past but it can refer to the past in the semantic way.

If that works for you fine, but remember that would can be used with a different sense for past time .

 

[Kotfor]

If that works for you fine, but remember that would can be used with a different sense for past time .

Which one do you mean?

 

[5jj]

Which one do you mean?

Lisa and I were great friends when we were children. We would spend hours together just enjoying the pleasure of each other's company.

ps. If you have follow-up questions on this, please start a fresh thread.

 

[Kotfor]

Oh I see - used to. That's right. Thanks.