Learn English – use of “would have to”

conditional-constructionstense

Here are some sentences about "would have to":

  1. If I needed more money in the future,I would have to do a better job.

  2. Freddy sneezed on the cakes. He would have to go and do that.

  3. A: What did you do yesterday?
    B: I repaired the broken window.
    A: Ah yes, you would have to do that. Broken windows are dangerous.

  4. A: What are you doing now?
    B: I am repairing the broken window.
    A: Ah yes, you would have to do that. Broken windows are dangerous."

  5. A: What are you going to do tomorrow?
    B: I will repair the broken window.
    A: Ah yes, you would have to do that. Broken windows are dangerous."

First question:
What's the use of would have to in above" sentences?

Second question:
But I hear people using "would have to" without the "if clause". I don't know why people use that way either.

Third question:
"would" has been used in past, present, and future in above examples. Is "would have to" tenseless? Why not to use "have to" instead of using "would have to"? Why do we need "would" here to refer to present past and future?

Best Answer

1.If I needed more money in the future, I would have to do a better job.

Compare your sentence with: "I need more money, so I have to get a better job"

It is the same but yours is conditional, as you have said "only in the event A of would I have to do B".

2.Freddy sneezed on the cakes. He would have to go and do that.

This doesn't sounds right. Literally, your sentence means that Freddy was obliged to sneeze on the cakes. More normal would be:

"Freddy sneezed on the cakes. He would go and do that" - with emphasis on the would. The emphasised would here means that this is something typical of Freddy, because he is the kind of person who sneezes on cakes.

3.A: What did you do yesterday? B: I repaired the broken window. A: Ah yes, you would have to do that. Broken windows are dangerous.

Again in this example "would have" doesn't sound right. More logical here would be "should". Because repairing windows is something you should do, to prevent people injuring themselves. I tried to think of a logical way to write your sentence with "would have", and came up with:

"...Ah yes, you would have had to do that, because broken windows are dangerous". - That looks like quite a mouthful, but logically means "in the past, you were obliged to do that.

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