This lesson introduces would, the past tense and conditional form of will, which served Elizabethan speakers as the primary marker of hypothetical, conditional, and habitual past actions. In Early Modern English (c. 1550–1650), would performed a broader range of functions than in contemporary usage, expressing not merely conditionality but also desire, volition, and customary action.
The word descends from Old English wolde, the past subjunctive of willan (to wish, to will). During the Elizabethan period, the form was pronounced with the historical /l/, rendering it /wʊld/ rather than the modern silent-l pronunciation /wʊd/. Spellings varied: would, wold, woulde, and wolde all appeared in period texts.
Modal auxiliaries like would consolidated their distinctive syntactical characteristics during the Early Modern period. Writers employed would to construct elaborate conditional architectures, to report indirect speech, and to narrate habitual past actions—”He would walk each morning to the river” meaning he customarily did so.
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FAQ: What does “would” mean in Elizabethan English?
In Elizabethan English, “would” (/wʊld/) functions as a modal auxiliary expressing: conditionality (”I would go, if thou wert willing”), habitual past action (”She would sing each evening”), polite request (”Would you attend me?”), desire or wish (”I would fain see him”), and reported speech (”He said he would return”). The pronunciation retained the historical /l/ sound that has since become silent in modern English.
The modal would expressed conditionality, desire, habitual action, and polite request in Early Modern English
Elizabethan pronunciation preserved the /l/: /wʊld/ not modern /wʊd/
The suffix -tion was pronounced /tɪən/ or /siən/, not modern /ʃən/
All instances of /r/ were pronounced (fully rhotic speech)
The vowels /ʌ/ and /ʊ/ had not yet split—both were pronounced [ʊ]
Conditional constructions often paired would with subjunctive were
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Each example presents the Elizabethan English text followed by word-by-word pronunciation (IPA reflecting Original Pronunciation norms) and grammatical gloss.
1.1a I would speak with thee.
1.1b I /ɪː/ 1SG.NOM would /wʊld/ COND speak /speːk/ speak.INF with /wɪθ/ with thee /ðeː/ 2SG.OBJ.FAM
1.2a She would fain know the truth.
1.2b She /ʃeː/ 3SG.F.NOM would /wʊld/ COND fain /feɪn/ gladly know /nɔː/ know.INF the /ðə/ DEF truth /truːθ/ truth
1.3a They would not confess their intention.
1.3b They /ðeɪ/ 3PL.NOM would /wʊld/ COND not /nɔt/ NEG confess /kənˈfɛs/ confess.INF their /ðɛːr/ 3PL.POSS intention /ɪnˈtɛntɪən/ intention
1.4a Would that I were young again!
1.4b Would /wʊld/ OPT that /ðat/ COMP I /ɪː/ 1SG.NOM were /wɛːr/ be.PAST.SUBJ young /jʊŋ/ young again /əˈgeɪn/ again
1.5a He would walk to the river each morning.
1.5b He /heː/ 3SG.M.NOM would /wʊld/ HAB walk /wɔːk/ walk.INF to /toː/ to the /ðə/ DEF river /ˈrɪvər/ river each /eːtʃ/ each morning /ˈmɔrnɪŋ/ morning
1.6a I would thou hadst more discretion in this matter.
1.6b I /ɪː/ 1SG.NOM would /wʊld/ wish thou /ðuː/ 2SG.NOM.FAM hadst /hadst/ have.PAST.2SG more /mɔːr/ more discretion /dɪsˈkrɛtɪən/ discretion in /ɪn/ in this /ðɪs/ DEM.PROX matter /ˈmatər/ matter
1.7a The queen would not suffer such imposition.
1.7b The /ðə/ DEF queen /kweːn/ queen would /wʊld/ COND not /nɔt/ NEG suffer /ˈsʊfər/ suffer.INF such /sʊtʃ/ such imposition /ˌɪmpəˈzɪtɪən/ imposition
1.8a Would you be so kind as to attend me?
1.8b Would /wʊld/ POLITE you /juː/ 2.NOM be /beː/ be.INF so /soː/ so kind /kɪːnd/ kind as /az/ as to /toː/ to attend /əˈtɛnd/ attend.INF me /meː/ 1SG.OBJ
1.9a He said he would return ere nightfall.
1.9b He /heː/ 3SG.M.NOM said /sɛd/ say.PAST he /heː/ 3SG.M.NOM would /wʊld/ FUT.PAST return /rɪˈtʊrn/ return.INF ere /ɛːr/ before nightfall /ˈnɪːtfɔːl/ nightfall
1.10a My father would sit by the fire and tell us stories.
1.10b My /mɪː/ 1SG.POSS father /ˈfaːðər/ father would /wʊld/ HAB sit /sɪt/ sit.INF by /bɪː/ by the /ðə/ DEF fire /ˈfɪːər/ fire and /and/ and tell /tɛl/ tell.INF us /ʊs/ 1PL.OBJ stories /ˈstɔːriːz/ stories
1.11a I would have spoken, but fear constrained my tongue.
1.11b I /ɪː/ 1SG.NOM would /wʊld/ COND have /hav/ have.INF spoken /ˈspɔːkən/ speak.PTCP but /bʊt/ but fear /fɛːr/ fear constrained /kənˈstreɪnd/ constrain.PAST my /mɪː/ 1SG.POSS tongue /tʊŋ/ tongue
1.12a The physician would minister to the sick without compensation.
1.12b The /ðə/ DEF physician /fɪˈzɪsɪən/ physician would /wʊld/ HAB minister /ˈmɪnɪstər/ minister.INF to /toː/ to the /ðə/ DEF sick /sɪk/ sick without /wɪðˈuːt/ without compensation /ˌkɔmpənˈseɪtɪən/ compensation
1.13a Would to God thou wert here beside me.
1.13b Would /wʊld/ OPT to /toː/ to God /gɔd/ God thou /ðuː/ 2SG.NOM.FAM wert /wɛrt/ be.PAST.SUBJ.2SG here /hɪːr/ here beside /bɪˈsɪːd/ beside me /meː/ 1SG.OBJ
1.14a She would embroider cushions of most curious fashion.
1.14b She /ʃeː/ 3SG.F.NOM would /wʊld/ HAB embroider /ɛmˈbrɔɪdər/ embroider.INF cushions /ˈkʊʃənz/ cushions of /ɔv/ of most /moːst/ most curious /ˈkjuːrɪəs/ curious fashion /ˈfatɪən/ fashion
1.15a I would sooner die than betray mine honour.
1.15b I /ɪː/ 1SG.NOM would /wʊld/ COND sooner /ˈsuːnər/ sooner die /dɪː/ die.INF than /ðan/ than betray /bɪˈtreɪ/ betray.INF mine /mɪːn/ 1SG.POSS honour /ˈɔnər/ honour
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The same sentences presented as continuous Elizabethan English text for fluent reading practice.
1.1 I would speak with thee.
1.2 She would fain know the truth.
1.3 They would not confess their intention.
1.4 Would that I were young again!
1.5 He would walk to the river each morning.
1.6 I would thou hadst more discretion in this matter.
1.7 The queen would not suffer such imposition.
1.8 Would you be so kind as to attend me?
1.9 He said he would return ere nightfall.
1.10 My father would sit by the fire and tell us stories.
1.11 I would have spoken, but fear constrained my tongue.
1.12 The physician would minister to the sick without compensation.
1.13 Would to God thou wert here beside me.
1.14 She would embroider cushions of most curious fashion.
1.15 I would sooner die than betray mine honour.
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Conditional: Expressing hypothetical or unreal situations I would go, if thou wert willing. — Present contrary-to-fact
Habitual Past: Indicating customary or repeated past action He would walk to the river each morning. — Regular past routine
Optative/Wish: Expressing desire, often in the formula “Would that...” Would that I were young again! — Strong wish
Polite Request: Softening commands into courteous questions Would you attend me? — Polite directive
Reported Speech (Future-in-Past): Converting direct “will” to indirect He said he would return. — Future from past perspective
Volition/Willingness: Indicating past desire or intention I would fain know. — “I should like to know”
The Historical /l/: Unlike modern English, Elizabethan speakers pronounced the /l/ in would, should, could. Thus: /wʊld/, /ʃʊld/, /kʊld/.
The -tion Suffix: Words ending in -tion were pronounced /tɪən/ or /siən/, not the modern /ʃən/. Thus intention = /ɪnˈtɛntɪən/, fashion = /ˈfatɪən/, compensation = /ˌkɔmpənˈseɪtɪən/.
Rhotic Speech: All instances of /r/ were fully pronounced, whether before consonants or at word-end. Thus honour = /ˈɔnər/ with audible final /r/.
The STRUT/FOOT Merger: The vowels that became modern /ʌ/ (strut) and /ʊ/ (foot) had not yet split in Elizabethan English. Both were pronounced [ʊ]. Thus but = /bʊt/, cut = /kʊt/.
Long Vowels: Many vowels retained continental qualities. The vowel in speak approached /eː/, in die approached /ɪː/, and in fire was diphthongal /ɪːər/.
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The modal auxiliary verbs—will/would, shall/should, can/could, may/might, must—achieved their modern grammatical behavior during the Early Modern period. These verbs lost their ability to function without following infinitives (the archaic “I must to Coventry” became rare), and their present participles ceased to indicate aspect.
Would held particular importance in the period’s elaborate systems of social hierarchy and politeness. The shift from the direct “Will you attend me?” to the conditional “Would you attend me?” marked the speaker as refined and courteous. This same softening function operates in the conditional perfect “I would have thought...” which distances the speaker from direct assertion.
Shakespeare deployed would across its full semantic range. The optative “Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven” (Hamlet) expresses anguished wish. The habitual “He would pore upon a book” (Love’s Labour’s Lost) depicts customary action. The conditional “I would not wish any companion in the world but you” (The Tempest) frames affection hypothetically.
The construction “I would + [object] + past subjunctive” expressed wish regarding another’s action: “I would thou hadst my bones, and I thy news” (2 Henry IV). This pattern allowed speakers to express desire while maintaining the social fiction that they were not commanding.
David Crystal’s Original Pronunciation research demonstrates that Elizabethan pronunciation was not uniform. The period witnessed rapid change—the suffix -tion, for instance, evolved from /tiən/ to /siən/ across Shakespeare’s lifetime, eventually becoming modern /ʃən/. Regional and social variation existed alongside this temporal change.
The preservation of the /l/ in would reflects the general principle that Early Modern English retained more consonants in pronunciation than does modern English. The silent /l/ in would, should, could, half, calm, palm represents post-Elizabethan loss.
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From William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act III, Scene i (c. 1600):
To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them. To die—to sleep, No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to: ‘tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish’d. To die, to sleep; To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there’s the rub: For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause—there’s the respect That makes calamity of so long life. For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, Th’oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, The pangs of despis’d love, the law’s delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th’unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovere’d country, from whose bourn No traveller returns, puzzles the will, And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of?
In Original Pronunciation, question sounded as /ˈkwɛstɪən/ with the -tion suffix rendered /tɪən/. The word would in “who would bear” and “who would fardels bear” carried the full /wʊld/ with audible /l/. These rhetorical questions employ would to present hypothetical willingness—who would willingly endure such suffering?
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A merchant’s wife addresses the audience, reflecting upon her husband’s absence. This passage demonstrates the habitual, conditional, and optative uses of would in interconnected dramatic speech.
2.1a My husband would depart each spring for the Low Countries.
2.1b My /mɪː/ 1SG.POSS husband /ˈhʊzbənd/ husband would /wʊld/ HAB depart /dɪˈpaːrt/ depart.INF each /eːtʃ/ each spring /sprɪŋ/ spring for /fɔr/ for the /ðə/ DEF Low Countries /loː ˈkʊntriːz/ Low.Countries
2.2a He would sail with the morning tide and return not till autumn.
2.2b He /heː/ 3SG.M.NOM would /wʊld/ HAB sail /seɪl/ sail.INF with /wɪθ/ with the /ðə/ DEF morning /ˈmɔrnɪŋ/ morning tide /tɪːd/ tide and /and/ and return /rɪˈtʊrn/ return.INF not /nɔt/ NEG till /tɪl/ until autumn /ˈɔːtəm/ autumn
2.3a Would that I had accompanied him on that final voyage!
2.3b Would /wʊld/ OPT that /ðat/ COMP I /ɪː/ 1SG.NOM had /had/ have.PAST accompanied /əˈkʊmpənɪːd/ accompany.PTCP him /hɪm/ 3SG.M.OBJ on /ɔn/ on that /ðat/ DEM.DIST final /ˈfɪːnəl/ final voyage /ˈvɔɪɪdʒ/ voyage
2.4a I would send letters by every ship bound for Antwerp.
2.4b I /ɪː/ 1SG.NOM would /wʊld/ HAB send /sɛnd/ send.INF letters /ˈlɛtərz/ letters by /bɪː/ by every /ˈɛvriː/ every ship /ʃɪp/ ship bound /buːnd/ bound for /fɔr/ for Antwerp /ˈantwɛrp/ Antwerp
2.5a He would answer with tender words and fair promises of his swift return.
2.5b He /heː/ 3SG.M.NOM would /wʊld/ HAB answer /ˈansər/ answer.INF with /wɪθ/ with tender /ˈtɛndər/ tender words /wʊrdz/ words and /and/ and fair /fɛːr/ fair promises /ˈprɔmɪsɪz/ promises of /ɔv/ of his /hɪz/ 3SG.M.POSS swift /swɪft/ swift return /rɪˈtʊrn/ return
2.6a Now I would give all my portion for one more letter.
2.6b Now /nuː/ now I /ɪː/ 1SG.NOM would /wʊld/ COND give /gɪv/ give.INF all /ɔːl/ all my /mɪː/ 1SG.POSS portion /ˈpɔrtɪən/ portion for /fɔr/ for one /wʊn/ one more /mɔːr/ more letter /ˈlɛtər/ letter
2.7a The factor said he would bring news of the ship’s arrival.
2.7b The /ðə/ DEF factor /ˈfaktər/ factor said /sɛd/ say.PAST he /heː/ 3SG.M.NOM would /wʊld/ FUT.PAST bring /brɪŋ/ bring.INF news /njuːz/ news of /ɔv/ of the /ðə/ DEF ship’s /ʃɪps/ ship.GEN arrival /əˈrɪːvəl/ arrival
2.8a I would sit at the window watching for his messenger.
2.8b I /ɪː/ 1SG.NOM would /wʊld/ HAB sit /sɪt/ sit.INF at /at/ at the /ðə/ DEF window /ˈwɪndoː/ window watching /ˈwɔtʃɪŋ/ watch.PTCP for /fɔr/ for his /hɪz/ 3SG.M.POSS messenger /ˈmɛsəndʒər/ messenger
2.9a Would you not have done the same in such affliction?
2.9b Would /wʊld/ COND you /juː/ 2.NOM not /nɔt/ NEG have /hav/ have.INF done /dʊn/ do.PTCP the /ðə/ DEF same /seɪm/ same in /ɪn/ in such /sʊtʃ/ such affliction /əˈflɪktɪən/ affliction
2.10a My neighbours would whisper that I should accept my loss.
2.10b My /mɪː/ 1SG.POSS neighbours /ˈneɪbərz/ neighbours would /wʊld/ HAB whisper /ˈhwɪspər/ whisper.INF that /ðat/ COMP I /ɪː/ 1SG.NOM should /ʃʊld/ should accept /əkˈsɛpt/ accept.INF my /mɪː/ 1SG.POSS loss /lɔs/ loss
2.11a They would have me put on widow’s weeds and forget him.
2.11b They /ðeɪ/ 3PL.NOM would /wʊld/ COND have /hav/ have.INF me /meː/ 1SG.OBJ put /pʊt/ put.INF on /ɔn/ on widow’s /ˈwɪdoːz/ widow.GEN weeds /weːdz/ weeds and /and/ and forget /fərˈgɛt/ forget.INF him /hɪm/ 3SG.M.OBJ
2.12a I would not yield to their persuasion, not while hope remained.
2.12b I /ɪː/ 1SG.NOM would /wʊld/ COND not /nɔt/ NEG yield /jiːld/ yield.INF to /toː/ to their /ðɛːr/ 3PL.POSS persuasion /pərˈsweɪzɪən/ persuasion not /nɔt/ NEG while /hwɪːl/ while hope /hoːp/ hope remained /rɪˈmeɪnd/ remain.PAST
2.13a Would to heaven the seas had been kinder to my love.
2.13b Would /wʊld/ OPT to /toː/ to heaven /ˈhɛvən/ heaven the /ðə/ DEF seas /seːz/ seas had /had/ have.PAST been /beːn/ be.PTCP kinder /ˈkɪːndər/ kinder to /toː/ to my /mɪː/ 1SG.POSS love /lʊv/ love
2.14a His memory would comfort me through the long winter nights.
2.14b His /hɪz/ 3SG.M.POSS memory /ˈmɛmriː/ memory would /wʊld/ HAB comfort /ˈkʊmfərt/ comfort.INF me /meː/ 1SG.OBJ through /θruː/ through the /ðə/ DEF long /lɔŋ/ long winter /ˈwɪntər/ winter nights /nɪːts/ nights
2.15a I would that he should know how faithfully I loved him.
2.15b I /ɪː/ 1SG.NOM would /wʊld/ wish that /ðat/ COMP he /heː/ 3SG.M.NOM should /ʃʊld/ should know /nɔː/ know.INF how /huː/ how faithfully /ˈfeɪθfʊliː/ faithfully I /ɪː/ 1SG.NOM loved /lʊvd/ love.PAST him /hɪm/ 3SG.M.OBJ
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This course employs the Latinum Institute methodology of interlinear construed text for autodidactic language acquisition. Each lesson presents vocabulary from a frequency-based 1000-word curriculum, with examples demonstrating usage across registers and contexts.
Elizabethan English represents the Early Modern English of c. 1550–1650, the language of Shakespeare, Marlowe, and the King James Bible. While mutually intelligible with modern English, it preserves archaic features in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary that reward careful study.
Original Pronunciation (OP) reflects scholarly reconstruction of period speech patterns, drawing upon rhymes, puns, spelling evidence, and contemporary phonetic descriptions. The IPA transcriptions in this course follow OP conventions as established by David Crystal and other historical phonologists.
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