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Would for willingness in the past

Question in the past perfect and answer using “would”Past Habits = Simple Past (vs. 'used to' and 'would')help to understand past participlehelp to understanding the past participle formWhat would natives take for “Today is so yesterday”?Wish+would/past simplePast Perfect RequirementHow to differentiate if *Would* used for Past repetitive action or future hypothesis in English Sentence?How to thanks someone for taking time in the pastCould have + past participle

4

1

1- We had a terrible night. The baby wouldn't go to sleep.

2- I was late for work today because my car wouldn't start.

3- The CD wasn’t working so I brought it back to the shop but they
wouldn’t give me my money back because they said the box had already been opened.

I suppose I can use "didn't" instead of "wouldn't" in these sentences.

I don't understand the logic of using "would" in these kind of situations. What kind of difference do we convey when we use "would" instead of "did" in these situations?

sentence-construction sentence-meaning would

share|improve this question

edited 8 hours ago

Talha Özden

asked 8 hours ago

Talha ÖzdenTalha Özden

64011 gold badge22 silver badges99 bronze badges

add a comment | 

4

1

1- We had a terrible night. The baby wouldn't go to sleep.

2- I was late for work today because my car wouldn't start.

3- The CD wasn’t working so I brought it back to the shop but they
wouldn’t give me my money back because they said the box had already been opened.

I suppose I can use "didn't" instead of "wouldn't" in these sentences.

I don't understand the logic of using "would" in these kind of situations. What kind of difference do we convey when we use "would" instead of "did" in these situations?

sentence-construction sentence-meaning would

share|improve this question

edited 8 hours ago

Talha Özden

asked 8 hours ago

Talha ÖzdenTalha Özden

64011 gold badge22 silver badges99 bronze badges

add a comment | 

1- We had a terrible night. The baby wouldn't go to sleep.

2- I was late for work today because my car wouldn't start.

3- The CD wasn’t working so I brought it back to the shop but they
wouldn’t give me my money back because they said the box had already been opened.

I suppose I can use "didn't" instead of "wouldn't" in these sentences.

I don't understand the logic of using "would" in these kind of situations. What kind of difference do we convey when we use "would" instead of "did" in these situations?

sentence-construction sentence-meaning would

share|improve this question

edited 8 hours ago

Talha Özden

asked 8 hours ago

Talha ÖzdenTalha Özden

64011 gold badge22 silver badges99 bronze badges

share|improve this question

edited 8 hours ago

Talha Özden

asked 8 hours ago

Talha ÖzdenTalha Özden

64011 gold badge22 silver badges99 bronze badges

share|improve this question

edited 8 hours ago

Talha Özden

asked 8 hours ago

Talha ÖzdenTalha Özden

64011 gold badge22 silver badges99 bronze badges

asked 8 hours ago

Talha ÖzdenTalha Özden

64011 gold badge22 silver badges99 bronze badges

asked 8 hours ago

Talha ÖzdenTalha Özden

64011 gold badge22 silver badges99 bronze badges

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

7

This is a subtle one.

You're right about "would" expressing willingness in the past (the past of "will" in a rather archaic sense of "be willing").

In the third case it might be literally that meaning: "they were unwilling/didn't want to give me my money back".

But actually the sense of the first two, and possibly the third one as well, is something like "I'm irritated because the baby kept on not going to sleep" etc.

Nobody really thinks that the baby is wilfully refusing to go to sleep, or that the car has any volition: it's a metaphorical extension also seen in a sentence like "The car absolutely refused to start".

As I indicated, these expressions have an affective meaning, expressing the speaker's frustration or annoyance.

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

Colin FineColin Fine

35.5k22 gold badges5252 silver badges6868 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Great answer, thank you. "Monsters! Monsters from the swamp! Folk said the road was fraught with peril, but I wouldn't listen. I got my comeuppance now! " (This line is from a fantastic video-game. Context : A peasant comes to us in fear for help. We are the monster slayer by the way.) . I suppose in this sentence, that peasant is angry at himself since he didn't listen to the warning of the folk.
  
  – Talha Özden
  7 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @TalhaÖzden You cannot use just plain didn't in place of this sort of wouldn't. You have to instead use the longer but more complete didn't want to if you intend to retain the same sense.
  
  – tchrist
  3 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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7

This is a subtle one.

You're right about "would" expressing willingness in the past (the past of "will" in a rather archaic sense of "be willing").

In the third case it might be literally that meaning: "they were unwilling/didn't want to give me my money back".

But actually the sense of the first two, and possibly the third one as well, is something like "I'm irritated because the baby kept on not going to sleep" etc.

Nobody really thinks that the baby is wilfully refusing to go to sleep, or that the car has any volition: it's a metaphorical extension also seen in a sentence like "The car absolutely refused to start".

As I indicated, these expressions have an affective meaning, expressing the speaker's frustration or annoyance.

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

Colin FineColin Fine

35.5k22 gold badges5252 silver badges6868 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Great answer, thank you. "Monsters! Monsters from the swamp! Folk said the road was fraught with peril, but I wouldn't listen. I got my comeuppance now! " (This line is from a fantastic video-game. Context : A peasant comes to us in fear for help. We are the monster slayer by the way.) . I suppose in this sentence, that peasant is angry at himself since he didn't listen to the warning of the folk.
  
  – Talha Özden
  7 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @TalhaÖzden You cannot use just plain didn't in place of this sort of wouldn't. You have to instead use the longer but more complete didn't want to if you intend to retain the same sense.
  
  – tchrist
  3 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

7

This is a subtle one.

You're right about "would" expressing willingness in the past (the past of "will" in a rather archaic sense of "be willing").

In the third case it might be literally that meaning: "they were unwilling/didn't want to give me my money back".

But actually the sense of the first two, and possibly the third one as well, is something like "I'm irritated because the baby kept on not going to sleep" etc.

Nobody really thinks that the baby is wilfully refusing to go to sleep, or that the car has any volition: it's a metaphorical extension also seen in a sentence like "The car absolutely refused to start".

As I indicated, these expressions have an affective meaning, expressing the speaker's frustration or annoyance.

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

Colin FineColin Fine

35.5k22 gold badges5252 silver badges6868 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Great answer, thank you. "Monsters! Monsters from the swamp! Folk said the road was fraught with peril, but I wouldn't listen. I got my comeuppance now! " (This line is from a fantastic video-game. Context : A peasant comes to us in fear for help. We are the monster slayer by the way.) . I suppose in this sentence, that peasant is angry at himself since he didn't listen to the warning of the folk.
  
  – Talha Özden
  7 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @TalhaÖzden You cannot use just plain didn't in place of this sort of wouldn't. You have to instead use the longer but more complete didn't want to if you intend to retain the same sense.
  
  – tchrist
  3 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

This is a subtle one.

You're right about "would" expressing willingness in the past (the past of "will" in a rather archaic sense of "be willing").

In the third case it might be literally that meaning: "they were unwilling/didn't want to give me my money back".

But actually the sense of the first two, and possibly the third one as well, is something like "I'm irritated because the baby kept on not going to sleep" etc.

Nobody really thinks that the baby is wilfully refusing to go to sleep, or that the car has any volition: it's a metaphorical extension also seen in a sentence like "The car absolutely refused to start".

As I indicated, these expressions have an affective meaning, expressing the speaker's frustration or annoyance.

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

Colin FineColin Fine

35.5k22 gold badges5252 silver badges6868 bronze badges

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

Colin FineColin Fine

35.5k22 gold badges5252 silver badges6868 bronze badges

answered 7 hours ago

Colin FineColin Fine

35.5k22 gold badges5252 silver badges6868 bronze badges

answered 7 hours ago

Colin FineColin Fine

35.5k22 gold badges5252 silver badges6868 bronze badges