See a brief explanation of the basic structure of all modal auxiliary verbs...
See would in reported speech (eg. he said he would do it)...
Would can form the conditional of the verb. In this sense, it is used to talk about theoretical situations:
I would love to go to Menorca.* It sounds like a beautiful place.
I'm sure he would play his guitar for you.** He never says no.
*But I can't go.
**I'm sure (if you asked him).
Should is used in the same way as would when a conditional auxiliary in the first person "I" and "we":
I would/should take your umbrella if I were you.
We would/should get the train if we had time.
The affirmative contracted form is the same for both would and should:
I'd take your umbrella if I were you.
See examples of would used in "if" sentences in the conditional...
We use would to talk about "a future in the past". This means a past action that had not yet happened at the time of speaking:
I arrived in London in 1964. I didn't know it then but I would live here for the rest of my life.
John met Mary at the White Horse pub five years ago. They would soon get married.
We can use would like to make polite requests:
I'd like to take out a hundred euros, please (in the bank).
We'd like a bottle of white wine, please (in the restaurant).
I'd like to ask you a personal question.
When we give instructions or we offer something, it sounds more polite if we use would you like?:
Would you like to come this way?
Would you like to sit down?
Would you like a biscuit?
Compare with the use of could for being polite...
Would can talk about repeated or habitual actions in the past with a use which is similar to used to:
When we were children, we would often go (or, often used to go) for long walks in the park.
On winter evenings, we would sit (or, used to sit) in front of the fire and tell stories.
He would rarely write (or, rarely used to write) so we learnt little about him over the years.
We could use the negative wouldn't in this sense but there is often ambiguity with wouldn't for refusals:
She wouldn't go out much when she was a child (she didn't use to or she refused to).
Used to can refer to states and habitual actions in the past but would can only talk about habitual actions:
My grandmother used to live in a beautiful house by the sea (not, my grandmother would live...).
I used to be happy (not, I would be...).
See used to with full explanation...
See will for repeated actions...
Would can be used to criticize what somebody has done in a negative way. Notice that would used to criticize refers to a single occasion with reference to a past action. Also, it is often used when we have warned somebody previously not to do something or we think somebody is inconsiderate:
After all I said about not telling her, you would go and tell her, wouldn't you?
He would go and park right in front of my house. That's typical of John.
Read about and compare will used for criticizing...
We can use wouldn't as a past tense of won't to talk about refusals in the past. This can refer to people or objects that refuse to do some action:
Mary wouldn't help me with my English homework (= she refused to help me).
He wouldn't play with the other children (= he refused to play with them).
The car wouldn't start this morning (= the car refused to start).
Modal auxiliary verbs 1 (can, could, may, might)...
Modal auxiliary verbs 2 (should, ought to)...
Modal auxiliary verbs 3 (must,)...
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