Past habits and repeated actions - 'would'
'Would'- repeated actions and habits in the past （表示重复的动作或过去的习惯）
In this episode of The Flatmates, the guide uses 'would' plus a base verb (infinitive without 'to') to talk about repeated actions and habits in the past.
'...paintings would often be commissioned by the wealthy, and, they would be hung in the home...'
The use of 'would' means that these things happened many times in the past. This idea can also be expressed by using the past simple, so the above sentence could be rewritten as:
'...paintings were often commissioned by the wealthy, and, they were hung in the home...'
If a past action happened only once, 'would' can not be used.
This painting would be commissioned in 1856 - wrong.
This painting was commissioned in 1856 - right.
'Would' and 'used to' - past repeated actions, habits and states（表示重复的动作，习惯和状态）
'would' + base verb has a very similar meaning to 'used to' - the above example could be rewritten as:
'...paintings used to be commissioned by the wealthy and, they used to be hung in the home...' with no real change in meaning.
However, there is an important difference between 'would' and 'used to'. 'Used to' can be used to talk about past states as well as past repeated actions and habits, but 'would' is only used to talk about past habits. 'Would' is not used to talk about past states.
When I was younger, I used to paint for 2 hours every day - correct - this is a past repeated action or habit, so 'used to' is acceptable here.
When I was younger, I would paint for 2 hours every day - correct - this is a past repeated action or habit, so 'used to' is acceptable here.
I used to be a painter - correct - this is a past state - 'used to' is acceptable here.
I would be a painter - wrong - this is a past state - 'would' is not acceptable here.
If a past action happened only once, 'used to' can not be used.
This painting used to be commissioned in 1856 - wrong.
This painting was commissioned in 1856 - right.
Past possibilities / probabilities - 'would have' + past participle （表示过去的可能性）
In this episode of The Flatmates, Alice and the guide use 'would have' with a past participle to talk about past possibilities or probabilities .
Alice asks: How long would it have taken to paint?
The guide replies: Well, a painting like this would probably have taken up to a year to complete.
For more information about 'would' for past possibilities and probabilities, see The Flatmates episode 65. |
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