Modal 'would'

[Enigma]

Do you agree? It just seems too random for it to be expressing a past habit...

If that were the intent, the author would (or should) have written it in a different way, even if it were simply by the addition of "often."

Yea, I'd agree. Often 'would' is avoided when discussing past habits, and instead, the simple past is used with an adverb like 'always' or 'often.'

By the way, should'nt it be 'if that had been the intent,' Sap? (Or perhaps this is yet another exception to the standard forumlae, since the intent is still present)

[saparris]

He wanted a divorce but his wife would not agree.
Past, indicating determination (from Audiendus's list) or to talk about past refusals from the web site you posted.

Yesterday morning, the car wouldn't start.
Again, the same. The car refused to start (or determined not to start).

[Enigma]

http://www.englishpage.com/modals/would.html

This site has only three uses for would:

1. Would" is most commonly used to create conditional verb forms.
2. It also serves as the past form of the modal verb "will."
3. Additionally, "would" can indicate repetition in the past.


I don't think the sentences I just provided could fit into 2, and obviously not 1 or 3.

[saparris]

Would that we could all come to terms with would and move on to something else.