Page 74 - Basic English Usage

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Use
In sentences with /f, and similar words (see 165).
! wouldn’t go there if | didn't have to.
Suppose there was a war, what would you do?
in reported speech (see 283.3), to show that somebody said shail or will.
! said that | should need heip. ('/ shall need heip.’)
He told me everything would be ail right.

For ‘future in the past’.
! was late. | would have to run to catch the train.

With like, prefer etc, in polite requests and offers.
| would like some tea. | Would you prefer meat or fish?

After some conjunctions we use a past tense instead of a conditional.
(See 343).
[f! was rich | would do what liked. (NOT .. . -whattwoutdtike-)
I
Note that the word conditional can have another meaning. It is used not
only for the structure would/should + infinitive (as here), but also for a
kind of clause or sentence with if (see 164-165).
For other uses of should, see 294. For other uses of would, see 369.

conjunctions

clause + conjunction + clause
conjunction + clause, + clause

A conjunction joins two clauses.
{'m tired and | want to go to bed.
| tried hard but | couldn't understand.
His father died, so he had to stop his studies.
| know that you don't like her.
1} sell it to you cheap because you're a friend of mine.
She married him although she didn't love him.
We'll start at eight o'clock so that we can finish early.
I'd tell you if | knew.
And, but, so and thai go between two clauses.
Most other conjunctions can also go at the beginning of a sentence.
Because you're a friend of mine, I'll sell it to you cheap.
Although she didn't love him, she married him.
So that we can finish early, we'll start at eight o'clock.
If | knew, I'd tell you.
When a conjunction begins a sentence, there is usually a comma (,)
between the two clauses.