WouldA1–B1

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Would like for offers and wants; would for polite requests, imagined situations and past habits. Would has one form for every subject and takes the base verb: Would you like a coffee? I would like tea.

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CheatsheetA1–B1

Point	Rule	Example
Want	would like + noun / to base verb; short form 'd	I'd like a coffee, please. / I'd like to book a table.
Question and offer	Would + subject + V; no do	Would you like some cake?
B1Form	subject + would / 'd + V; negative wouldn't	She would help. / I wouldn't go.
B1Polite request	Would you…? asks politely for help	Would you pass the salt, please?
B1Imagined situation	with if: if + past simple, would + base verb	I would buy a boat. / If I had more time, I would learn Italian.
B1Past habit	repeated actions; the sentence needs a past time frame	When I was a child, we would play outside every day.
B1Trap	used to for a past state: live, be, have, know	When I was young, I used to live in Paris.

Form: wouldA1–B1

Form	Pattern	Example
B1Affirmative	subject + would / 'd + V	She would help.
B1Negative	subject + wouldn't + V	I wouldn't go.
Question	Would + subject + V	Would you like tea?
B1Short answer	Yes, … would. / No, … wouldn't.	Yes, I would. / No, I wouldn't.

would has one form for every subject: I would, she would.
The verb after would is in the base form: She would help.
Questions and negatives need no do: Would you go? / I wouldn't go.

Form: short formsA1–B1

Full form	Short form	Example
I would	I'd	I'd like a tea.
B1you would	you'd	You'd like her.
B1he / she / it would	he'd / she'd / it'd	She'd love it.
B1we / they would	we'd / they'd	We'd go.
B1would not	wouldn't	They wouldn't mind.

'd + base verb = would. 'd + past participle = had: I'd go. (= I would go) / I'd gone. (= I had gone)
See Past perfect.

Pronunciation: would and 'dA1–B1

Form	Sound	Example
B1would (weak, in a sentence)	/wəd/	Would you help? /wəd juː ˈhelp/
B1would (strong, at the end)	/wʊd/	Yes, I would. /jes aɪ ˈwʊd/
I'd	/aɪd/	I'd like tea. /aɪd ˈlaɪk tiː/
B1wouldn't	/ˈwʊdnt/	I wouldn't go. /aɪ ˈwʊdnt ɡəʊ/

The l in would and wouldn't is silent: would is /wʊd/ when strong.

UseA1–B1

Use	Example
A polite want: would like + noun	I'd like a coffee, please.
A polite want: would like + to V	I'd like to book a table.
Offers and invitations	Would you like some cake?
B1Offering to do something (would like me to)	Would you like me to carry that?
B1Polite requests	Would you pass the salt, please?
B1Imagined situations	I would buy a boat.
B1Imagined situations with if	If I had more time, I would learn Italian.
B1Past habits: repeated actions	When I was a child, we would play outside every day.

would like is a polite form of want: I'd like tea.
would like takes to + base verb: I'd like to go.
B1An imagined situation with if takes if + past simple, would + base verb. See Conditionals.
B1A past habit with would needs a past time frame: When I was young, I would…

Compare: would and used toB1

Point	would	used to
Meaning	repeated past actions	repeated past actions and past states
Action	We would swim every summer.	We used to swim every summer.
State	—	I used to live in Leeds.

A past state (live, be, have, know) takes used to. See Used to.

Typical errorsA1–B1

✗	✓	Rule
Do you would like a coffee?	Would you like a coffee?	questions with would need no do
I would like going.	I'd like to go.	would like + to + base verb
B1She would likes tea.	She would like tea.	would + base verb
B1When I was young, I would live in Paris.	When I was young, I used to live in Paris.	past states take used to