How to Use Would in English - English Modal Verbs

英语语法- 情态动词 would

Hi, I'm Mike.

嗨，我是Mike。欢迎来到Oxford Online English。 在本节课里，您可以学到

Welcome to Oxford Online English.

In this lesson, you can learn about the modal verb 'would' in English.

英语情态动词“would“。您想学更多与 ”would“有关的东西，以及它是什么意思吗？

Would you like to learn more about 'would' and what it means?

If I asked you to tell me all the meanings and uses of 'would' right now would you be

如果我请您现在告诉我”would“ 所有的意思和用法，

able to?

您可以吗？像所有情态动词那样，”would“ 可以有很多不同的意思。这些

Like all modal verbs, 'would' can have many different meanings.

These different meanings aren't connected to each other, which can make it difficult

不同的意思不会互相关联，在不同的 句子或情形里找出”would“

to work out what 'would' means in different sentences or situations.

是什么意思会很难。在本节课里， 您会看到”would“的所有

In this class, you'll see all the uses of 'would' and meanings.

用法和意思。我们从”would“ 最重要的用法开始。

Let's start with the most important use of 'would'.

Imagine your friend asks you:

想象一下您的朋友问您：

What would you do if you were attacked by a shark?

如果您被一条鲨鱼攻击了， 您会做什么？

Why does your friend use would in this question?

为什么您的朋友在这个问题里使用 ”would“？您要怎样回答呢？

And how should you answer?

Probably, your answer would also include would.

有可能，您的回答也会包含”would“。 也许像是这样：

Maybe something like:

I’d probably try to hit it on the nose, or poke it in the eye, or something like that.

I’d probably try to hit it on the nose, or poke it in the eye, or something like that.

Maybe I’d just try to swim away.

Maybe I’d just try to swim away.

So, any ideas?

那么，有任何观点吗？为什么我们 在这里使用”would“？

Why do we use would here?

It’s because getting attacked by a shark is very unlikely.

那是因为被一条鲨鱼攻击是不 太可能的。在我们谈论那些不太

We use would when we talk about things which are either very unlikely, or totally impossible.

可能的、或完全不可能的 事情时，我们使用“would”。

For example:

例如：

What would you do if you could read people’s thoughts?

What would you do if you could read people’s thoughts?

Reading people’s thoughts is impossible, so we use would.

阅读人们的想法是不可能的， 所以我们使用“would”。那是

It’s a question about an imaginary situation.

一个关于一个假想情形的问题。

I would help you if I could.

I would help you if I could.

I can’t help you, so I use would to show that it’s impossible.

我不能帮您，所以我使用“would”来 表明那是不可能的。这像是在说，

This is like saying, “I can’t help you.”

“I can’t help you.”

She would be here, but he has too much work at the moment.

She would be here, but he has too much work at the moment.

She’s not here, although she would be if she didn’t have so much work.

She’s not here, although she would be if she didn’t have so much work.

In all of these cases, when you use would, you’re talking about a situation which isn’t

在所有这些事例里，在您使用“would” 时，您在谈论一个不是真实的

true, and which you think will never happen.

情形，并且您认为永远不会发生。

That’s what it means when you use would like this.

在您像这样使用“would”时，那就是它的意思。 您在说：“I think this

You’re saying, “I think this thing will never happen.”

thing will never happen.”

If I won the lottery, I would…

If I won the lottery, I would…

You say would because you don’t think you’ll ever win the lottery.

您说“would”，因为您不认为 您甚至会赢得乐透。

You can use would have plus a past participle to talk about the past in the same way.

您可以使用“would”+一个过去分词 以同一种方式来谈论过去。

For example:

例如：

What would you have said if she’d seen you?

What would you have said if she’d seen you? 她没看到您，所以您没和她说

She didn’t see you, so you didn’t say anything to her.

任何东西。我在问您一个与假想的 情形有关的问题。我是在说：

I’m asking you a question about an imaginary situation.

I’m saying, “Imagine a different version of the past, where she did see you…”

“Imagine a different version of the past, where she did see you…”

I wouldn’t have come if I’d known it was going to go on so late.

I wouldn’t have come if I’d known it was going to go on so late.

I didn’t know it was going to go on so late, so I did come, but now I regret it!

我不知道那会是太晚了，所以我 去了，但是现在我后悔了！想象

Imagine you’re at an event and you have to get up early tomorrow.

您在参加一个活动，您明天不得 不早起。活动比您预期的

The event goes on much later than you expected, so you say this.

要晚得多，所以您这样说。

He wouldn’t have been much help, anyway.

He wouldn’t have been much help, anyway.

He wasn’t there, so he couldn’t help, but even if he had been there, he wouldn’t

他不在这，所以他不能帮忙， 但是，即使他在那，

have been able to help us.

他也不会帮到我们。

This is the most common way to use would, and probably the most complicated.

这是一个最常见的使用“would”的方式， 也有可能是最复杂的。然而，

However, would has many other uses.

会有很多其他用法。

Let’s look!

我们来看看！

If you want to ask someone to do something for you, using would in your request can make

如果您想请某人为您做某事，在 您的要求里使用“would”

it sound more polite.

会听起来更有礼貌。

For example:

例如：

Can you tell me the time?

Can you tell me the time? Will you get me a sandwich?

Will you get me a sandwich?

I want something to eat.

I want something to eat.

All of these requests are quite informal.

所有这些要求都是很不正式的。 取决于情形，那是可以的，

That can be fine, depending on the situation, but sometimes you want to be a bit more formal,

但是，有时候，您想要更正式一点， 那么您听起来有礼貌。

so that you sound polite.

Would can be useful here.

“Would”在这里是有用的。看些句子。 您可以看到怎样使用“would”吗？

Look at the sentences.

Can you see how to use would?

Okay, let’s check your ideas:

好，我们来看看您的观点：

Would you mind telling me the time?

Would you mind telling me the time? Would you get me a sandwich?

Would you get me a sandwich?

I’d like something to eat.

I’d like something to eat.

Using would you mind + -ing is a very polite way to make a request.

使用would you mind + -ing是 提出要求的很有礼貌的方式。

You can also use would in place of will in a request.

您也能使用“would”在请求里代替 “will”。这会更正式一点以及

This makes it a little more formal and polite.

更有礼貌。

Finally, using would like instead of want is better, unless you’re in a very informal

最后，使用“would like”取代“want” 会更好，除非您是在一个

situation.

非常不正式的情形下。

To be clear, these aren’t the only ways to use would.

要弄清楚的是，这不是使用“would”的 唯一方式。有其他可能的答案。

There are other possible answers.

For example, you could say:

例如，您可以说：

Tell me the time, would you?

Tell me the time, would you? Would you mind getting me a sandwich?

Would you mind getting me a sandwich?

These are possible, but the first answers I gave you are the most obvious.

这些是可能的，但是，我给您的 第一个问题是最明显的。

Also, let’s get something clear: there’s no connection between these different uses

同样，我们厘清某些事情： 在这些 “would”的不同用法之间

of would.

是没有关联的。

If you use would to make a polite request, like you’re doing here, there’s no connection

如果您使用“would”来有礼貌地提出 要求，像您在这里做的那样，

with the idea of imaginary or unreal situations that you saw in part one.

那与您在第一部分看到的假想的念头 或不真实的情形是没有关联的。

Okay, let’s move on and look at another way to use would.

好，我们继续并看看使用 “would”的另外一种方式。

Imagine you have a friend who’s always late for everything.

想象您有一个每件事总是迟到的朋友。 您明天要和您的朋友会面，

You’re meeting your friend tomorrow, and you’re really annoyed that you always have

您真的很烦您总是要等。 您告诉您的朋友

to wait.

You tell your friend to be on time, and she replies:

要准时，她回答：

I’ll be on time, I promise!

I’ll be on time, I promise! I’ll get an earlier bus, which will get to the centre

I’ll get an earlier bus, which will get to the centre by 3.00.

by 3.00.

Now, imagine that it’s a few days later, and you want to tell me what your friend said

现在，想象一下几天之后， 您想告诉我您的朋友对

to you.

您说的。您会怎么做？

How would you do it?

You would say something like:

您会说某些像是：

My friend promised she’d be on time.

My friend promised she’d be on time. She said she’d get an earlier bus, which she

She said she’d get an earlier bus, which she said would arrive by 3.00.

said would arrive by 3.00. Of course, when she turned up it was nearly 4.00!

Of course, when she turned up it was nearly 4.00!

Do you see what’s happening here?

您看到了在这里发生了什么事情吗？

Every time your friend says will, you say would when you’re talking about what your

每次，您的朋友说“will”，在您谈论 您的朋友说的时候，

friend said.

您说“would”。

English learners often say something like, “Would is the past tense of will.”

英文学习者通常说某些事像是： “Would is the past tense of will.”那有时

That’s true sometimes, but not generally.

是真的，但是，并非 一般都是这样。

For example, for the uses of would you saw in parts one and two, it’s not helpful or

例如，您在第一部分与第二部分 看到的“would”的用法，说

accurate to say that would is the past tense of will.

“would”是“will”的过去时态，那是 没用的讲法或是不准确的。

However, in reported speech, it’s a good way to think about it.

然而，在报告陈述里，那样 考虑是一个好方式。

There’s one more case where would has a past meaning connected to will.

还有一个“would”有过去的 意思并与“will”关联的事例。

Do you know what I’m talking about?

您知道我在谈论什么吗？

Both will and would can have the meaning of refusing to do something.

“will”和“would”两者可以有拒绝 做某事的意思。例如：

For example:

I’ll ask him, but he won’t help me.

I’ll ask him, but he won’t help me. He’ll refuse to help me (in the future).

He’ll refuse to help me (in the future).

I asked him, but he wouldn’t help me.

I asked him, but he wouldn’t help me. He refused to help me (in the past).

He refused to help me (in the past).

In this case, you can use would as the past version of will.

在这个事例里，您可以使用“would” 作为“will”的过去版本。

You can use this to talk about people:

您可以使用这个来谈论人们:

They wouldn’t give me my money back, even though I had the receipt.

They wouldn’t give me my money back, even though I had the receipt.

They refused to give me my money back.

他们拒绝把我的钱给回我。

You can also use it to talk about things:

您也可以使用它谈论事情：

My car wouldn’t start this morning.

My car wouldn’t start this morning. 我的小车 ‘拒绝’发动。好了，不能在

My car ‘refused’ to start.

Okay, cars can’t literally refuse to start, but we often talk about machines, computers

字面上说小车拒绝发动，但是，我们 经常用这种方式来谈论机器、电脑

and things like that in this way.

和类似那样的事情。

Here’s a similar example:

这有一个相似的例子：

When he tried to show me, the file wouldn’t open.

When he tried to show me, the file wouldn’t open.

So here and in part three—reported speech—the meanings of will and would are connected.

所以，在这里和第三部分 — 报告陈述 — “will”和“would”的意思是有关联的。

When you’re thinking about how to use will and would, it’s important to remember that

在我们谈论怎样使用“will”和 “would”时，记住有时意思是

sometimes the meanings are connected, and sometimes they’re completely different.

相关联的、有时它们是完全 不同的是很重要的。

We’ll come back to this point at the end of the lesson.

在课程的结尾，我们会 回头看这点。

There’s one more way to use would that we need to look at:

还有一个我们需要看的使用 “would”的方式：

You can use would to talk about things you did in the past, but don’t do now.

您可以使用“would”来谈论您在过去 做过，但是现在没做的事情。

For example:

例如：

My mum would walk us to school when we were little.

My mum would walk us to school when we were little.

When I was training for the marathon, I would go running for two hours every day after work.

When I was training for the marathon, I would go running for two hours every day after work.

It was exhausting!

It was exhausting!

Would is similar to used to here, but it’s not exactly the same.

“Would”在这里用法相似， 但是，不是完全相同的。

When you use would like this, you can only talk about repeated actions in the past.

当您像这样使用“would“时，您只 可以谈论在过去重复的行为。

You can’t talk about states and situations, like you can with used to.

您不能像您习惯的那样 来谈论状态和情形。

So, you can’t say:

所以，您不能说：

I would live in a small flat with my friends when I was a student.

I would live in a small flat with my friends when I was a student.

That’s not correct, because live is a state, not an action.

那不正确，因为生活是一个状态， 不是一个行动。

However, this sentence is okay:

然而，这句话是可以的：

I would go out with my friends most evenings when I was a student.

I would go out with my friends most evenings when I was a student.

This is fine, because go out is an action.

这句可以，因为外出是一个行动。

So, now you’ve seen all the different ways you can use would in English.

那么，您现在看到了您在英语里使用 “would”的所有不同方式。

Let’s review what you’ve learned today.

我们复习一下今天您学到了什么。

Would has five common uses in English.

“Would”在英语里有五个常用 的用法。它可以用来：

It can be used:

To talk about imaginary or unreal situations.

谈论想象的或不真实的情形。 有礼貌地提出要求。

To make polite requests.

In reported speech, as the past version of will.

在报告陈述里，当做 “will”的过去版本。

To mean ‘refused to’.

表达“拒绝”的意思。 谈论在过去重复的行动。

To talk about repeated actions in the past.

When you’re learning about how to use would, one of the most important things to get clear

当您正在学习怎样使用“would”时， 在您的脑海里要搞清楚的

in your head is the relationship between will and would.

最重要的一件事是“will” 与“would”之间的关系。

Sometimes will and would are connected: if you’re using reported speech, or using would

有时“will”和“would”是有关联的： 如果您在报告陈述里使用，或使用“would”

to mean ‘refused to’, then would behaves like a past version of will.

来表达“拒绝”的意思，那么“would” 表现像是“will”的一个过去版本。

However, in the other uses of would, there is no connection between will and would.

然而，在“would”的其他用法里，“will” 和“would”之间是没有关联的。

In fact, in the most common use of would—talking about imaginary or unreal situations—will

事实上，在“would”的最常用的用法里 — 谈论假想的或是不真实的情形 — “will”

and would have almost opposite meanings.

和“would”几乎是有相反的意思。

For example, if someone says, “I’ll help you,” with will, you can expect them to

例如，如果某人说：“I’ll help you,” 用“will”，您可以期望他们

help you, in reality.

在现实里帮您。

If someone says, “I would help you,” with would, then you shouldn’t expect them to

如果某人说：“I would help you,”用 “would”，那您不要期望他们

help you.

帮您。“Will”和“would”在 这里有完全不同的意思。

Will and would have completely different meanings here.

It’s also good to remember that the different uses of would aren’t connected to each other

最好是记住“would”的不同用法 不是所有都互相关联的。

at all.

“would”的意思完全取决于 句子和情形。

The meaning of would depends completely on the sentence and the situation.

Finally, would can refer to different times depending on how you’re using would.

最后，依据您怎样使用“would”， “would”可以提及不同的时间。

For example:

例如：

I would come tomorrow, but I’ve already made other plans.

I would come tomorrow, but I’ve already made other plans.

Would you pass me that blue bag?

Would you pass me that blue bag? I asked them to change my ticket, but they

I asked them to change my ticket, but they wouldn’t do anything.

wouldn’t do anything.

These three sentences are about the future, the present and the past, respectively.

这三个句子分别有关 将来、现在和过去。

So you can’t say what time would refers to by itself.

所以您不能说“would”自身提及 什么时间。依据意思和上下文，

It can refer to any time depending on the meaning and the context.

它可以提及任何时间。

Most importantly, would doesn’t necessarily have a past meaning.

最重要的是，“would”不必要有一个 过去的意思。有时会有，但是，

Sometimes it does, but it can also refer to the present or

它也能提及现在或将来。

the future.

Thanks a lot for watching!

非常感谢观看！