Page 273 - Basic English Usage

275 369 — 370

369 would
Forms

Would is a ‘modal auxiliary verb’ (see 202). There is no -sin the third
person singular; questions and negatives are made without do; after
would, we use the infinitive without to.
Meaning
We use would as a past form of will, or as aless definite, ‘softer’ form of
will, Compare:
lil be here at ten tomorrow.
| said | would be there at ten the next day.
She will talk to herself for hours. (present habit)
She would talk to herself for hours. (past habit)
He won't do his homework. (present retusal)
He wouldn’t co his homework. (past refusal)
Will you open the window, please? (firm request)
Would you open the window, please? (‘softer request)
Would is the auxiliary verb for the ‘conditional’ of other verbs (see 88).
! would tel! you if | knew.
For the difference between would and should, see 296.
For more information ahout wil/, see 366.

370 would rather
Would rather means ‘would prefer to’. It is followed by the infinitive
without to. We often use the contraction ‘d rather : this means ‘would
rather’, not ‘had rather’.

would rather + infinitive without to

Would you rather stay here or go home?
‘How about a drink?’ 1d rather have something to eat.’

We can use would rather to say that one person would prefer another
person to do something. We use a special structure with a past tense.

| would rather + subject + past tense

Vd rather you went home now.
Tomorrow's difficult. Pd rather you came next weekend.
My wife would rather we didn’t see each other any more.
‘Shall | open a window?’ Td rather you didn’t.’
For other structures where a past tense has a present or future meaning, see 239.
For another way of using rather, see 124. °