WOULD in English – 10 Ways Native Speakers Use It Every Day — Transcript

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1. 0:00Making [music] English easy for
2. 0:02everyone.
3. 0:02>> Speak English with Jay and May.
4. 0:05>> Hey English learners, welcome back to
5. 0:08Speak English with Jay and May. Your
6. 0:11cozy little place to build your English
7. 0:13confidence. I'm May.
8. 0:16>> Hello May, and hello everyone. I'm Jay.
9. 0:20How are you today, May?
10. 0:21>> I'm doing really well, Jay. Actually, I
11. 0:24just had a really interesting moment
12. 0:27this morning. I was texting a friend and
13. 0:30I used the word would like four times in
14. 0:33three sentences.
15. 0:35>> Really? Four times? I didn't even notice
16. 0:39when people use would that much.
17. 0:41>> Right? That's the thing. Native speakers
18. 0:44use would all the time and most learners
19. 0:48think it only has one or two meanings.
20. 0:51But today, Jay, we're going to show
21. 0:54everyone that would is actually one of
22. 0:57the most powerful words in English.
23. 1:00>> Oh, wow. Okay, I'm excited. And a little
24. 1:03nervous.
25. 1:05How many uses does it have?
26. 1:07>> 10. We're covering all 10 uses of would
27. 1:11today with real examples, real stories,
28. 1:14and zero boring grammar textbook stuff.
29. 1:17>> Yes, that's what I love about this show.
30. 1:20Okay, May. Before we start, I think we
31. 1:23should tell our listeners something
32. 1:24important.
33. 1:25>> Oh, good idea. Go ahead, Jay.
34. 1:28>> If this podcast helps you learn English
35. 1:30in a fun way, please subscribe to our
36. 1:32channel, hit the like button, turn on
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38. 1:37friend who's learning English. It really
39. 1:39helps us make more episodes for you
40. 1:42every single day.
41. 1:43>> Every single day. We work hard for you.
42. 1:46So, that little like button means the
43. 1:48world to us. Okay, let's dive in. Are
44. 1:52you ready, Jay?
45. 1:53>> Ready. Let's go.
46. 1:55>> All right. So, let's start with use
47. 1:57number one. And this one everyone
48. 2:00already knows a little bit. We use would
49. 2:03for imaginary or hypothetical
50. 2:05situations, things that are not real,
51. 2:08not happening right now, just in your
52. 2:11imagination.
53. 2:12>> Oh, like if I had a million dollars, I
54. 2:16would travel the world.
55. 2:17>> Exactly. Perfect example. You don't have
56. 2:21a million dollars right now. Sorry, Jay.
57. 2:24But you're imagining what life would be
58. 2:26like. That's the hypothetical would. It
59. 2:29lives inside if I I would sentences.
60. 2:34>> So, it's like a dream sentence.
61. 2:36>> Yes, a dream sentence. I love that. You
62. 2:40know, I always say, if I could live
63. 2:42anywhere, I would live by the beach. Do
64. 2:45I live by the beach right now? No, but
65. 2:49in my imagination, absolutely.
66. 2:52>> [laughter]
67. 2:52>> Okay, I love that. So, use number one is
68. 2:55would for imaginary situations. Got it.
69. 2:59What's number two?
70. 3:00>> Number two, we use would to talk about
71. 3:03past habits, things you did regularly in
72. 3:06the past, but you don't do anymore.
73. 3:09>> Wait, I thought we used used to for
74. 3:11that.
75. 3:12>> Great question. You can use both. Used
76. 3:15to and would are actually
77. 3:17interchangeable for past habits. So,
78. 3:20instead of saying, I used to walk to
79. 3:22school every day, you can say, I would
80. 3:25walk to school every day.
81. 3:27>> Oh, interesting. So, would can replace
82. 3:30used to?
83. 3:31>> For habits, yes. But here's the key,
84. 3:34only for actions, not for states. So,
85. 3:38you can say, I would walk to school,
86. 3:41that's an action, but you can't say, I
87. 3:44would be very shy. For states, you need
88. 3:47used to be.
89. 3:48>> Oh, okay. That's a sneaky little rule.
90. 3:52>> It is, and this is where things get
91. 3:55interesting because most textbooks don't
92. 3:58even mention this difference. When I was
93. 4:00a kid, my grandma would make pancakes
94. 4:03every Sunday morning. Every single
95. 4:05Sunday. That smell would fill the whole
96. 4:08house. I can still remember it.
97. 4:11>> Aw, that's so sweet. And you used would
98. 4:13twice just now.
99. 4:15>> I did. That's how natural it is. Use
100. 4:18number two, past habits. Moving on,
101. 4:21number three. We use would for polite
102. 4:24requests.
103. 4:26>> Oh, like at a restaurant?
104. 4:27>> Exactly. Instead of saying, "Give me
105. 4:30water." which sounds a little harsh, you
106. 4:34say, "Would you bring me some water,
107. 4:36please?" It's softer, more polite, more
108. 4:39natural.
109. 4:40>> So, would you makes things more polite?
110. 4:43>> Yes. Would you help me? Would you mind
111. 4:46closing the door? Would you like to sit
112. 4:48down? These all sound warm and
113. 4:51respectful. It's one of the most
114. 4:53important uses in everyday life,
115. 4:55honestly.
116. 4:56>> I use can you a lot. Is that wrong?
117. 4:59>> It's not wrong, but would you sounds
118. 5:02more polite and more native. Can you is
119. 5:05more casual. In a professional setting,
120. 5:08would you is always the safer, more
121. 5:11impressive choice.
122. 5:12>> Good to know. Okay, what's number four?
123. 5:15>> Number four, would for offers. When you
124. 5:19want to offer something to someone, you
125. 5:21say, "Would you like?"
126. 5:23>> You mean like, "Would you like some
127. 5:25coffee?"
128. 5:26>> Yes, that's the classic one. Would you
129. 5:29like to join us? Would you like some
130. 5:31help? It's gentle. It gives the other
131. 5:34person a choice without pressure. Very
132. 5:37different from just saying, "Do you want
133. 5:39coffee?" which is fine, but would you
134. 5:42like coffee feels warmer, more
135. 5:44welcoming.
136. 5:45>> It really does sound different, like
137. 5:47more caring.
138. 5:49>> Exactly. And you know what's funny? I
139. 5:52notice this every time I'm at a nice
140. 5:54cafe or hotel. The staff always says,
141. 5:58"Would you like anything else?" Never
142. 6:00"Do you want more?" That little word
143. 6:03would carries so much warmth.
144. 6:06>> Wow, I never noticed that before. Okay,
145. 6:09use number five, what is it?
146. 6:11>> Number five, would for preferences. This
147. 6:15is when you use would with rather or
148. 6:18prefer. Like, I would rather stay home
149. 6:21than go out tonight.
150. 6:23>> Oh, like choosing between two things?
151. 6:26>> Exactly. Would rather means you prefer
152. 6:29one thing over another. I would rather
153. 6:32drink tea than coffee. She would rather
154. 6:34walk than take the bus. It's very common
155. 6:37in natural conversation.
156. 6:40>> I would rather sleep than study
157. 6:42sometimes. Can I say that?
158. 6:45>> Yes, that is a perfect and very honest
159. 6:48sentence. And this connects to would
160. 6:51prefer, too. I would prefer to stay
161. 6:54home. Same meaning, slightly different
162. 6:57structure.
163. 6:58>> So, would rather and would prefer both
164. 7:01show preference. Got it. Okay, May,
165. 7:04we're at number six. We're halfway
166. 7:06through. Wait, actually more than
167. 7:09halfway.
168. 7:10>> We're flying through these. Okay, number
169. 7:12six, would for predictions or
170. 7:15expectations about the past. This one is
171. 7:18a little more advanced, but stick with
172. 7:20me.
173. 7:21>> Uh-oh.
174. 7:23Okay, I'm listening carefully.
175. 7:25>> So, imagine this. You come home and you
176. 7:28see an empty plate on the table. You
177. 7:30think, "Oh, my brother was here. He
178. 7:33would have eaten all the food." You
179. 7:35weren't there, you didn't see it, but
180. 7:37based on what you know, your brother
181. 7:39loves food, you make a prediction about
182. 7:42what probably happened in the past.
183. 7:45>> Oh, so would have is like guessing what
184. 7:48happened before.
185. 7:50>> Yes. Would have arrived by now. He would
186. 7:53have known the answer. These are logical
187. 7:56predictions about the past. You're not
188. 7:59100% sure, but you're pretty confident
189. 8:02based on the situation.
190. 8:03>> That's actually really useful, like
191. 8:06detective thinking.
192. 8:08>> Yes, exactly like a detective. She would
193. 8:11have left early. She would have taken
194. 8:13the train. You're building a picture
195. 8:15from clues. I love that, Jade. Detective
196. 8:18thinking.
197. 8:19>> Okay, I'm feeling smart. What's number
198. 8:22seven?
199. 8:23>> Number seven, would to report what
200. 8:26someone said. This is called reported
201. 8:29speech, and this one is super common.
202. 8:32>> Like when you tell someone what another
203. 8:34person said?
204. 8:35>> Yes. So, imagine your friend says, "I
205. 8:38will call you tomorrow." Later, you tell
206. 8:41someone else, "She said she would call
207. 8:45me tomorrow." You change will to would
208. 8:48in reported speech.
209. 8:50>> Oh, so will becomes would when you're
210. 8:53reporting.
211. 8:54>> Exactly. Direct speech, "I will help
212. 8:57you." Reported, "He said he would help
213. 9:00me." It's one of those grammar shifts
214. 9:02that happens automatically when you're
215. 9:04reporting, and once you know it, you'll
216. 9:06hear it everywhere.
217. 9:08>> I think I've been doing this wrong for a
218. 9:10long time. I probably just kept saying
219. 9:13will when I should say would.
220. 9:15>> Most learners do, but now you know. And
221. 9:18honestly, once you notice this, you
222. 9:20cannot un-notice it. You'll hear it in
223. 9:23movies, TV shows, everywhere.
224. 9:26>> This is where things really start to
225. 9:27click. Okay, number eight?
226. 9:30>> Number eight, would to talk about
227. 9:33something someone refused to do. This is
228. 9:36a really interesting and underused one.
229. 9:39>> Refused? Like they didn't want to do it?
230. 9:43>> Yes. The car wouldn't start. He wouldn't
231. 9:46listen to me. She wouldn't stop talking.
232. 9:49Here wouldn't shows refusal or something
233. 9:52just not cooperating, even if it's not a
234. 9:55person.
235. 9:56>> Wait, the car wouldn't start? The car
236. 9:59can refuse?
237. 10:00>> [laughter]
238. 10:01>> I know, right? It sounds funny, but we
239. 10:04actually say this in English. The door
240. 10:06wouldn't open. The computer wouldn't
241. 10:08turn on. It's like we give objects a
242. 10:11personality. They're being stubborn.
243. 10:13>> Oh, that's so funny. English is weird
244. 10:16sometimes.
245. 10:17>> It really is. But this use is everywhere
246. 10:20in native conversation, especially when
247. 10:22you're telling a frustrating story. I
248. 10:25was late because the taxi wouldn't come
249. 10:27and the app wouldn't work. You know that
250. 10:30feeling.
251. 10:31>> Oh, absolutely. That's very relatable.
252. 10:33Okay, number nine. We're almost done.
253. 10:36>> Number nine. Would in first conditional
254. 10:40with a little twist. Actually, let me
255. 10:42explain this differently. Sometimes we
256. 10:45use would to make a request sound more
257. 10:48indirect and less demanding. It's softer
258. 10:51than asking directly.
259. 10:52>> Hmm. Like an example?
260. 10:55>> Sure. Instead of tell me the answer, you
261. 10:59say, I would appreciate it if you told
262. 11:02me the answer. Or instead of stop doing
263. 11:06that, you say, I would prefer it if you
264. 11:09didn't do that. You wrap the request in
265. 11:13would to soften the impact.
266. 11:15>> Oh, so it's like using would as a
267. 11:18cushion.
268. 11:19>> Yes, a cushion. I love that word for it.
269. 11:22You're still asking for something, but
270. 11:25you're being gentle about it. Very
271. 11:27useful in professional emails, in formal
272. 11:30conversations, or even when you're
273. 11:32talking to someone you respect.
274. 11:34>> I need to use this in emails more. I
275. 11:37always sound too direct in emails.
276. 11:40>> We all do. But, I would appreciate your
277. 11:44reply at your earliest convenience. That
278. 11:46sounds so professional and warm at the
279. 11:49same time. Much better than please reply
280. 11:52fast.
281. 11:53>> Okay. And the final one, use number 10.
282. 11:58What is it?
283. 11:59>> Use number 10, and this is a beautiful
284. 12:02one. Would for expressing a wish or a
285. 12:05desire, often with a little emotion
286. 12:08behind it.
287. 12:09>> Like wishing for something?
288. 12:11>> Yes. I would love to visit Japan one
289. 12:14day. I would hate to miss this
290. 12:17opportunity. I would like to thank
291. 12:19everyone for coming. These sentences
292. 12:22carry genuine feeling. It's not just
293. 12:25polite, there's real emotion in there.
294. 12:28>> Oh, so would love, would hate, would
295. 12:31like, those are all expressing real
296. 12:34feelings.
297. 12:35>> Exactly. And this is how native speakers
298. 12:38express desire without sounding too
299. 12:40aggressive or too demanding. I want to
300. 12:44go is fine, but I would love to go, that
301. 12:47sounds warm, genuine, full of heart.
302. 12:51>> I would love to be fluent in English
303. 12:53someday.
304. 12:54>> And you will, Jay. You already are, more
305. 12:57than you think. And that sentence right
306. 13:00there, perfect use of would. You just
307. 13:03naturally used number 10.
308. 13:05>> I did? I didn't even think about it.
309. 13:08>> That's the goal, right? When you stop
310. 13:10thinking about grammar and you just
311. 13:12speak, that's when you know it's
312. 13:14working.
313. 13:15>> Okay, May. Can we do a quick recap
314. 13:17because I want to make sure everyone has
315. 13:19all 10 in their head.
316. 13:21>> Yes, great idea. Okay, quickly. Number
317. 13:24one, imaginary situations. If I had
318. 13:28time, I would travel more. Number two,
319. 13:32past habits. We would play outside every
320. 13:35evening. Number three, polite requests.
321. 13:39Would you help me, please? Number four,
322. 13:42offers. Would you like some tea?
323. 13:45>> Number five, preferences. I would rather
324. 13:48stay home. Number six, past predictions.
325. 13:52She would have finished by now. Number
326. 13:54seven, reported speech. He said he would
327. 13:57come. Number eight, refusal. The door
328. 14:01wouldn't open.
329. 14:02>> Number nine, softening requests. I would
330. 14:06appreciate it if you could help. And
331. 14:09number 10, expressing wishes and
332. 14:12desires. I would love to learn more
333. 14:15English.
334. 14:16>> 10 uses, one word, would. That is
335. 14:20incredible.
336. 14:21>> It really is. And here's the thing, you
337. 14:24probably already know most of these. You
338. 14:27just didn't realize it was all the same
339. 14:30word doing different jobs.
340. 14:32>> That's the thing about English. One word
341. 14:35can do so much.
342. 14:37>> Exactly. And the more you listen, the
343. 14:40more you'll catch these naturally.
344. 14:42Podcasts like this one, movies, shows,
345. 14:46real conversations. Just keep exposing
346. 14:49yourself to real English and it will all
347. 14:52start to make sense.
348. 14:54>> And speaking of this podcast, May, I
349. 14:56think it's time to remind our listeners
350. 14:58something.
351. 14:59>> Me? Go ahead.
352. 15:01>> If you enjoy learning with us, please
353. 15:03subscribe to the channel. Give this
354. 15:05episode a like, share it with one friend
355. 15:07who's learning English, and turn on the
356. 15:09bell so you never miss an episode. We
357. 15:12are here every single day for you.
358. 15:14>> Every single day. We genuinely love
359. 15:18making this for you, and your support
360. 15:20means everything. It keeps us going.
361. 15:23>> Okay, May. Before we close, what's the
362. 15:25comment challenge today?
363. 15:27>> Ooh, I love this part. Okay, here it is.
364. 15:31Write a sentence in the comments using
365. 15:34would. Any use. Pick your favorite from
366. 15:37today. [music]
367. 15:38It could be a wish, a polite request, a
368. 15:41past habit, anything. [music] Let us see
369. 15:44what you come up with.
370. 15:45>> Yes, show us your sentence. We read the
371. 15:48comments. We really do, and we love
372. 15:51seeing your progress.
373. 15:52>> [music]
374. 15:52>> And if you're feeling brave, use two or
375. 15:55three different would uses in one
376. 15:58comment. Let's [music] see who can do
377. 16:00it.
378. 16:01>> [laughter]
379. 16:02>> Challenge accepted. I would try that if
380. 16:05I were a listener right now.
381. 16:07>> [laughter]
382. 16:07>> Look at you. Hypothetical would and all.
383. 16:11Jay, you're basically a native speaker
384. 16:14at this point.
385. 16:16>> Don't tell everyone. They'll expect too
386. 16:18much [music] from me.
387. 16:19>> Okay, English learners. That's a wrap on
388. 16:22today's episode. Thank you so much for
389. 16:25spending this time [music] with us. You
390. 16:27showed up, you listened, you learned,
391. 16:30and that matters.
392. 16:31>> We'll see you in the next episode. Keep
393. 16:33practicing, keep doing, and remember,
394. 16:36every day you listen is a day you grow.
395. 16:39>> Take care of yourselves. We'll be back
396. 16:41tomorrow. [music] Same place, same good
397. 16:44energy. Bye for now.
398. 16:46>> Bye, everyone. See you [music] next
399. 16:47time.
400. 16:52>> [music]