How To Use Would In The Past | English Vocabulary Lesson

Hey guys, it’s Shane from English Understood here.

I would do homework every day but I don’t do it anymore.

What am I talking about here? The past, the present or the future? I am talking about the past.

‘Huh!? But Shane, “would” is used to talk about the future, right?’

Yes we do use ‘would’ to talk about the future but we can also use it to talk about the past.

This sentence ‘I would do my homework every day’ is talking about the past.

Was it a habit? Was it a routine? Something that I did very often? Yes it was.

Do I do homework anymore? No.

So this is the meaning of ‘would do my homework every day’. It’s finished now but it was something that I did as a habit in the past. But I don’t do it anymore.

It’s finished now. Another example. When I was a child, I would go to the park with my family every Sunday.

What am I talking about? Past, present or future? The past.

Is it something that I did very often? Yes it was.

Do I do it anymore? No I don’t.

So just remember, when we use ‘would’ to talk about past habits, normally we use it with a present tense verb. I would eat. I would run. I would go.

We normally don’t use the verb ‘to be’ with ‘would’ when we’re talking about the past.

And to make it really clear that you are talking about the past, it’s always best to give more information. For example, ‘When I was a child, I would’. When I was at high school, I would. When I was at university, I would.