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Vocabulary + Would + regret: the little tree 1/2

I) "THE CONDITIONAL" : = (SIMPLE 'FUTURE IN THE PAST')

  In a sentence, when the context and the main clause are in the past, WOULD, the auxiliary of the "conditional", is in fact, « a future in the past»!   :  the "CONDITIONAL"=  subject + WOULD + verb base.

- He said he would help you, and for sure, he will! (introduced by the past "he said")

2) WOULD also expresses WILLPOWER, a CHOICE, a CONSENT, an INTENTION: it is here a modal auxiliary expressing willpower: = (WILLPOWER)

- I wanted him to help you, but he wouldn't! (= He didn't want to!) 

 *  Negative form: 'wouldn't' is then stressed and expresses a refusal, an obstination, a negative promise.

 - He said he was too busy and wouldn't come ! (= he refused to...)

The refusal can even be used for inert objects which, because they are motionless seem to express their obstination to oppose human beings' desires! 

 3) The third form of would is the one that you never recognize and use!   It corresponds to an attitude or a repetitive behaviour: it's called the frequentative form... This would often indicates the somewhat ritual, if not obstinate, repetition of facts which seem to be the characteristics of a person, like a HABIT:= CHARACTERISTIC HABIT

- She was a chatterbox and would spend hours on the phone! (introduced by "she was")

- My grandmother would cuddle me and tell me stories every night before I went to bed.

 * The ‘past conditional' or ‘conditional perfect' is formed using: WOULD+ HAVE+ past participle of the verb; the main cause is in the past perfect.

 - Really, I would have understood better if you had explained a little more to me. 

B) REGRET : WISH is used to express the REGRET of a PAST ACTION and the UNREAL PAST.

 1) The REGRET of a past action: * I wish + modal past perfect.

  - I wish he had bought a blue car instead of a red one! 

  2) The unreal past:

  - If he had asked me (the action is past and he has asked nothing to me.= It's too late...), I would have helped him.

  It's the UNREAL MODE, but the action is in the PAST=> UNREAL PAST = IF + past perfect=> would have + past participle. 

 (Don't forget! the past perfect= had + past participle;  the modal "conditional" = would + have + past participle .)

  C) VOCABULARY :

  1) Character and feelings: 

2) Trees and wood-work:

Be very careful when doing the following exercise. First, though it's easy, it's very long (and you should have a pause when doing it! Don't forget to "save" your work). Then, you should choose the necessary vocabulary (Very easy! ) and the verbal forms expressing regret. Finally, each time you meet "would', you'll have to give its value (choose between "(future in the past), (willpower), and (characteristic habit) like in the lesson above. Go for it!  The FORCE is with you! 

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Once upon a time, in a huge and beautiful forest, fir trees were growing: big ones, and a very little one. The air was pure, and the animals in the forest were pleasant to live with and talk to. The young bearsfrogsharesI don't know would jump (future in the past)(characteristic habit)(willpower)I don't know over the tree as a game... He was so small... But the beautiful little tree didn't have a sense of humourdiscontentfuryI don't know. It infuriatedhumouredboredI don't know him... The little tree was always monotonoushumorousdiscontendedI don't know and he would say (willpower)(characteristic habit)(future in the past)I don't know : 'I wish I was plantedhad been plantedwill be plantedI don't know in a lively neighbourhood. I'm contentedboredhappyI don't know. I would like (willpower)(future in the past)(characteristic habit)I don't know my life to be less proudmonotonousjealousI don't know.' Yet, quite often, little children came to pick berries in the forest, and they would sing (future in the past)(willpower)(characteristic habit)I don't know and dance for this 'beautiful, little tree'. The tree was sad and humiliatedproudsatisfiedI don't know when he heard such words: he wanted to leave the forest and discover the big world... but what can you do that when you're a tree, solidly planted in a magnificent forest? His best friends, the sun and the wind, would teach (characteristic habit)(future in the past)(willpower)I don't know him the importance of happiness. But he wouldn't stop (future in the past)(willpower)(characteristic habit)I don't know wanting more and didn’t stop grumbling...

One day, the wood-cuttersbearsharesI don't know came and their big axesbearsbootsI don't know bit into the trunksfoliagerootsI don't know of the tall trees, his friends. They were taken away into large wagons. The little tree wasn't sad, but jealous, and outragedsatisfiedhappyI don't know because he hadn't been chosen.
He imagined the wonderful things that would happen (characteristic habit)(future in the past)(willpower)I don't know to his lost friends. His other friend the storkharesbearI don't know, told him later that he had flown over a majestic ship and heard two pine rootsbarksmastsI don't know speak about him and the marvellous forest. How much he'd like (future in the past)(characteristic habit)(willpower)I don't know to jumphumiliatesailI don't know around the world on seas and oceans and enjoy the real life... Yes, he was an unhappy little tree!
Another day, the wood-cutters came again and the fir tree was quite boredexcitedhurriedI don't know. Yet, hurriedly, the axes cut into the many young trunks and once again the dissatisfiedhurriedsatisfiedI don't know fir tree grumbled and wished he had been chosenhe wasn't chosenhe hadn't been chosenI don't know to go to his future glory!
(to be continued...)