Would Be Tense Question

sunday morning · Mar 24, 2009

If you've written something in the past tense, is it okay to use "would be"?

Example:
Her car would be pulling in anytime.

It would be the first time in ages.

I've got this in a novel, and I've went through it a few times, not noticing this, but now, I'm starting to wonder if it's right or not.

I don't know how else to word it...it kind of has to be as it is, but "would be" sounds future to me now.

"Will be" and "shall be" are definitely future, I know, I thought "would be" is different, but now I'm not sure.

Mr. Chuckletrousers · Mar 24, 2009

The two sentences you gave are a little strange...not really in the past tense, as far as I can tell. However, you can use "would be" in the past tense, either: 1) to describe something happening in the future relative to the past:

"As she waved in the rear-view mirror, I had no inkling that would be the last time I ever saw her."

Or 2) to describe something that habitually/repeatedly happened in the past:

"She would sit on my lap and I would read to her for hours, her fingers tracing the words as I spoke them."

sunday morning · Mar 24, 2009

Okay, thanks. I meant that as a whole, it's written in past tense, just those sentences I wasn't sure on. And if it clears anything up, the POV character is thinking about someone else. I guess it sounds like I'm just talking about one person, but in the context, it's one person thinking about another. That's why I didn't know how else to say it.

Mr. Chuckletrousers · Mar 24, 2009

sunday morning said:
Okay, thanks. I meant that as a whole, it's written in past tense, just those sentences I wasn't sure on. And if it clears anything up, the POV character is thinking about someone else. I guess it sounds like I'm just talking about one person, but in the context, it's one person thinking about another. That's why I didn't know how else to say it.

Well, again, it is OK to use "would be" if you are using it to describe something in the future relative to the past. e.g. "I looked nervously at the clock. Her car would be pulling it at any time." This usage is ok, because the event (her pulling in) is in the future with respect to the past event ('me' looking nervously at the clock). The context is crucial...

sunday morning · Mar 24, 2009

Okay, good. It works then. I originally thought it did...just over-analyzing it confused me.

Thanks again.

ComicBent · Mar 24, 2009

Your examples are correct. The conditional tense is formed with would + infinitive. The word would is technically the past tense of will.

However, do you see a mistake in your sentence:

I've got this in a novel, and I've went through it a few times.

dancingandflying · Mar 26, 2009

Both your examples are grammatically correct. But I agree that using "would be" for past tense would work when referring to something in the future relative to the past.

d&f.

Ludka · Mar 27, 2009

ComicBent said:
Your examples are correct. The conditional tense is formed with would + infinitive. The word would is technically the past tense of will.

However, do you see a mistake in your sentence:

I've got this in a novel, and I've went through it a few times.

Click to expand...

Ooh ooh! *raises hand*

Should it be "gone"?

*waits patiently for gold star*

Would Be Tense Question

sunday morning

Voguing

Mr. Chuckletrousers

Sith happens.

sunday morning

Voguing

Mr. Chuckletrousers

Sith happens.

sunday morning

Voguing

ComicBent

dancingandflying

Is it tea time yet?

Ludka

Hath more hair than wit