Why would you do that?

Forums: English, Esl, Grammar, English As A Second Language
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I happened to see this conversation.
Please take a look at this.

Father : What is troubling you?
Margaret : I lied to my child
Father : Why would you do that ?
Margaret : My husband, he pressured me to do it
I have just never lied to her before.
I'm not that kind of person

This is part of a movie script : Big Eyes, if I'm not mistaken,
and what caught my eyes is this part : Why WOULD you do that?

The Korean translation exactly sounds like,
'Why DID you do that?'
and I wonder if 'would' could often work as 'did' just like above.

Say, your boy stole a bike and totally having no idea, you asked him,
'Why WOULD you do that'? and that is almost the same meaning as
'Why DID you do that'?

If so, I would be quite taken aback '.
I'd appreciate any of your comment.

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Type: Question • Score: 4 • Views: 636 • Replies: 6

[+3] - FBM - 12/21/2015I think "why did" is asking for a straightforward reason. Asking "why would" insinuates that the speaker thinks that there is no good reason for doing that behavior. The asker...

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@SMickey,

I think "why did" is asking for a straightforward reason. Asking "why would" insinuates that the speaker thinks that there is no good reason for doing that behavior. The asker is expressing shock by asking "why would."

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@SMickey,

The use of "would" rather than "did" might mean nothing, or it might be a deeper question about one's character. It's hard to say without more context (and that's not a complaint, you've given context, and i appreciate that). Note that Margaret responds as though the question were a deeper question about character--"My husband pressured me to do it . . . I'm not that kind of person." When Margaret says "I'm not that kind of person," she's trying to say that it was not something that is in her character. "Father" (whose father?) seems to be asking for that deeper explanation, and Margaret seems to understand that.

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@FBM,

So, 'would' includes feelings of the asker's shock or surprise.
What about this one?

I was afraid he would make that kind of decision.

In this case, 'would' doesn't imply that he actually 'made' that decision, does it?

1 Reply

@SMickey,

SMickey wrote:

So, 'would' includes feelings of the asker's shock or surprise.

Generally speaking, yes. It could just be strong curiosity, but I think it's most commonly used to show shock or surprise. Even bewilderment.

Quote:

What about this one?

I was afraid he would make that kind of decision.

In this case, 'would' doesn't imply that he actually 'made' that decision, does it?

It can have different nuances depending on the context. Consider:

A: Tom dropped out of school because of problems with his girlfriend?
B: Yeah. I was afraid he would...etc. (B had correctly predicted that Tom would make that bad decision.)

Or:

A: Did you take away Tom's keys so that he couldn't drive drunk?
B: Yeah. I was afraid he would...etc. (B predicted the bad decision and prevented it.)

1 Reply

@FBM,

Quote:

A: Did you take away Tom's keys so that he couldn't drive drunk?
B: Yeah. I was afraid he would...etc. (B predicted the bad decision and prevented it.)

Why would you do that?

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