Volition

smb (smth) will (would) (not) do smth — (не) хоче, (не) стане

E.g. 1. She will not tell me what is wrong, just keeps crying. 2. I asked her what the matter was but she would not answer. 3. I would not marry you if you were the only man in the world. 4. This pen won't write. 5. The door would not open, though I pushed and pushed hard. 6. Boys will be boys. 7. Children will say such things.

66. Make a statement about somebody refusing to act the way lie should or is expected to. Refer the situation to the past by changing the form of the modal verb": Use the groups of words given below.

Model: the dog — to stop barking

The dog won't stop barking.

The dog would not stop barking.

1. Jackie — to take his cod-liver oil. 2. Mother — to stop worrying about Dad's health. 3. He — to see a doctor about that pain. 4. She — to listen to reason. 5. The man — to take less than a pound. 6. She — to hear of it. 7. She — to speak to him. 8. I — to forget it in a hurry. 9. The doctor — to allow him to play football. 10. The children — to go to bed.

67. Make a statement about something not functioning the way it should or is expected to. Refer the situation to the past by changing the form of the modal verb. Use the groups of words given below.

Model: the kettle — to boil

The kettle won't boil.

The kettle wouldn't boil.

1. The seams of her stockings — to stay straight. 2. The dress — to fit. 3. The words — to make sense. 4. The figures — to add. 5. The jelly — to jell. 6. The stain —to go out. 7. Her hair — to stay in place. 8. The folding chair— to fold. 9. The milk — to boil. 10. The rain — to stop.

68. Make a statement about somebody insisting on acting in the wrong way. Refer Иге situation to the past by changing the form of the modal verb. Use the groups of words given below.

Model: the children — to play in the street

The children will play in the street.

The children would play in the street.

1. She — to wear her hair like that. 2. Mother — to let the child eat sweets between meals. 3. He — to stay late at the office. 4. She — to spend more money on clothes than she can (could) afford. 5. She — to interfere. 6. They — to wear such clothes. 7. What can you expect if you — to smoke cigarette after cigarette and to drink lots of black cof­fee? 8. She — to spend her days lying on the sofa.

69. Make a statement about a thing functioning contrary to your expectations and wishes. Refer the situation to the past by changing the form of the modal verb. Use the groups of words given below.

Model: the window — to bang in the wind

The window will bang in the wind.

The window would bang in the wind.

1. This door — to open. 2. That folding bed — to fold unexpectedly under him. 3. The car — to break down in lonely places. 4. The fountain pen — to start leaking in his pocket. 5. The milk— to boil over the mo­ment she turns (ed) her back on it. 6. Fuses — to blow without any prov­ocation.

Note 21. Would+infinitive may denote a repeated action in the past without any special meaning of volition.

E.g. He would always say hallo. Він (бувало) завжди здоровався.

The synonymous expression used to refers to both states and actions, whereas would refers only to actions.

Compare: He used to come here every year.

He used to live here.

but:

He would come here every year.