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07-08-2008, 04:37 AM
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#1 | | Member
Join Date: May 2008
Threads: 52
Posts: 599
| usage: would vs will
i dont know when to use would/will. and it has appeared in bb quite often. so finally i give up. i need help.
In the belief that crossword puzzles stimulated her mind, Dolores will spend hours on them every weeks.
the book says Will is correct, but why is Would wrong?
another one,
The warning in the plays is clear: unless we restore the integrity of the family, all traditional values will disappear.
ugh!! | 
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07-08-2008, 04:40 AM
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#2 | | Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Threads: 16
Posts: 323
| Uniform tenses are the key. | |
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07-08-2008, 09:44 AM
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#3 | | Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Threads: 21
Posts: 310
| first one: It should be would because the word "stimulated" in the first part of the sentence is in past tense. You can't use will because that's future.
2: Seems to be correct. Can't use would because "restore" and "is" are all present, but you can use will. | |
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07-08-2008, 09:48 AM
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#4 | | Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Threads: 10
Posts: 820
| Present tense in the first part requires future ("will") in the second.
Past tense in the first part requires conditional ("would") in the second. | |
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07-08-2008, 09:50 AM
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#5 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: In a bubble Gender: Female
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| hannah nailed it | |
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07-08-2008, 10:09 AM
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#6 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Threads: 4
Posts: 116
| those tenses are tricky, but always look in the context of the sentence to see how you can fix it. | |
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07-08-2008, 10:27 AM
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#7 | | Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Threads: 21
Posts: 310
| Just look at the other parts of the sentence and identify what tense the other verbs are, then just use the same tense for whatever verb you need to fix. | |
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07-08-2008, 11:50 AM
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#8 | | Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Threads: 86
Posts: 641
| "the book says Will is correct, but why is Would wrong?"
so the book is wrong? | |
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07-08-2008, 12:50 PM
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#9 | | Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007 Location: Seattle--> Swarthmore '12 Gender: Male
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| Are you sure that the first sentnece is written correctly. I know that there's at least one typo: "every weeks." I'm pretty sure the answer is either "would spend" or "spent." It doesn't make sense to say that believing that crosswords stimulated (past), she will spend hours (future). | |
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07-08-2008, 11:46 PM
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#10 | | Member
Join Date: May 2008
Threads: 52
Posts: 599
| oops! sry,lol, the book says the first one Would is correct,my bad -.- big sorry! | |
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07-08-2008, 11:47 PM
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#11 | | Member
Join Date: May 2008
Threads: 52
Posts: 599
| sorry -.-
thankyou guys =D that would vs will always troubled me, thanks!
appreciate it! | |
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07-09-2008, 02:55 AM
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#12 | | Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007 Location: Seattle--> Swarthmore '12 Gender: Male
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| Okay, good! Yeah, I was like, hmmm maybe the CollegeBoard ISN'T perfect!!! Gasp! Anyway I'll post a big explanation of will/would just for you (and the rest of CC) tomorrow, after I get some sleep. | |
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07-09-2008, 03:27 AM
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#13 | | Member
Join Date: May 2008
Threads: 52
Posts: 599
| thanks, looking forward to see it ^_^ | |
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07-09-2008, 01:56 PM
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#14 | | Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007 Location: Seattle--> Swarthmore '12 Gender: Male
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| This is from a book called "Woe is I."
"Where There's a Will, There's a Would"
Do you waffle when faced with the choice of will or would? Take your pick: Harry said he [will or would] make waffles for breakfast.
Follow the lead of the first verb (said). Since it's in the past tense, use would: Harry said he would make waffles for breakfast. When the first berb is in the present tense (says), use will: harry says he will make waffles for breakfast.
Now here's an example with three verbs (the same principle applies): Harry thought that if he [eats or ate] one waffle, he [will or would] want another.
Since the first verb (thought) is in the past, use the past tense, ate, and would: Harry thought that if he ate on waffle, he would want another. When the first verb is in the present (thinks), use the present tense, eats, and will: Harry thinks that if he eats one waffle, he will want another.
"In the Land of If"
Think of if as a tiny set of scales. When a sentence has if in it, the verbs have to be in balance. When the if side of the scale is in the present tense, the other side calls for will. When the if side of the scale is in the past tense, the other side gets a would.
If he shops (present) alone, he will spend too much.
If he shopped (past) alone, he would spend too much.
Balancing the scales becomes more complicated as the tenses get more complicated. When you use a compund tense with has or have on the if side of the scale, you need a will have on the other side. Similarly, when you use a compound tense with had on the if side of the scale, you need a would have on the other.
If he has shopped alone, he will have spent too much.
If he had shopped alone, he woud have spent too much.
The if part doesn't have to come first, but the scales must stay in balance: He will spend too much if he shops alone. He would spend too much if he shopped alone.
Aren't grammar books wonderful? | |
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07-09-2008, 08:50 PM
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#15 | | Member
Join Date: May 2008
Threads: 52
Posts: 599
| omg that was more than i asked. OMG that was so cool =D
big thanks man.
conditionals, finally i pwned it...
thankyou!!! =D thx guys | |
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