hii,

I am learning English for around 5 years and I still can’t comprehend the meaning of “would” and “count” in some context. are they just past form of “will” and “can”?

“would you like coffee” means a person is asking if you liked coffee in past? “I would do it” means I did it in past?

I really don’t understand since my language doesn’t have anything like those words.

Edit: Thank you for answering my naive question :)

  • Susaga@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    20·
    6 months ago

    Would is a hypothetical will. “Would you dance” is a general query, but “will you dance” is a call to action. A lot of the time, would is followed by if, as in, “would you dance if I asked you to?”

    “Would you like coffee” is a round-about way to ask if you want coffee. Full form would be “if I brought you coffee, would you like it?”

    Past tense is “would have”, such as “would you have liked coffee?” This is generally a missed opportinuty where you didn’t do something, and you’re asking so you can know more for the future. Saying “I would have” generally means “I didn’t.”

    • morphballganon@lemmy.world
      1·
      6 months ago

      Your post is mostly excellent but I’m afraid your last sentence might cause confusion because you don’t specify what they didn’t. “I didn’t” what?

      • Susaga@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        11·
        6 months ago

        I disagree. I clearly equated both phrases, and both phrases can either exist in a longer sentence to establish the subject or as a complete phrase with the subject established in a previous sentence.

        Examples: “I would have danced” is functionally the same as “I didn’t dance.” If someone asks you if you danced, you could answer “I would have” or “I didn’t” and the same information is brought across.

        • Evkob
          2·
          6 months ago

          If someone asks you if you danced, you could answer “I would have” or “I didn’t” and the same information is brought across

          Hard disagree there. “I would have” implies that dancing was something you desired, but circonstances didn’t allow for whatever reason. There’s an unsaid “but” in there, whereas “I didn’t” simply means you were not involved in the dancing.

          “I would have” carries a lot more meaning than a simple “I did not”.

        • morphballganon@lemmy.world
          2·
          6 months ago

          Ok, now I understand what you meant, but I also disagree, like your other replier. “I would have” contains intent, whereas “I didn’t” does not.

          Imagine if your roommate asks “did you steal my laptop?” Answering “I didn’t” answers the question succinctly, and there is no discussion of intent. Answering “I would have” suggests that there is (or was) some intent to steal.