One Minute Grammar

Would like to / Want to

Watch the short video to preview the grammar point for this unit.

Would for Past Tense

In English, we use “would” to talk about the past.

The word “would” shows something happened regularly.

The main verb does not change form.

Notice the following examples.

When I was in high school, my dad would drive me to school every day.

In class, I would chat with my friends.

Sometimes, the teacher would get mad at us.

In spoken English, the word “would” is usually contracted.

Notice these examples.

When I was a teenager, I’d often go to the park after school.

I’d meet my friends.

We’d stay there until dark.

For negative statements use "would not" or "wouldn't" before the base verb.

For example,

We wouldn’t stay too late however.

This form is rarely used to make questions in the past tense.