Definition of the phrase 'what I would give' as an expression of strong desire, with short examples.
What I would give means you want something very badly, almost enough to trade anything for it. It expresses longing, not a real offer.
What I would give for a day off. Said after a long week, this just means you intensely want that day off.
What I would give to be on a beach right now. Said while stuck at your desk on a hot afternoon, it simply means you badly wish you were there.
definition
A explanation of what *do what you will* means and how people use it, with everyday examples. It notes the casual or shrugging tone the phrase often carries, when it can sound resigned or dismissive, and how it differs from the more formal *do as you will*. An example invites the reader to notice the tone in a real sentence.
definition
Could is a polite way of asking someone to do something. It is the softer version of can: could you pass the bowl? works like can you pass the bowl?, but with a layer of courtesy on top.
definition
Miniature dictionary entry defining the modal verb 'would': meaning first, then two short example sentences, with a nearby distinction woven into the examples.
definition
Dictionary-style entry for the phrase 'would that', with meaning, examples, a nearby distinction, and an interactive check.
definition
*Had* is the past tense and past participle of *have*. It shows that someone possessed something or did something before now. *I had a dog as a kid* means you owned a dog back then, not today. *We had a wonderful meal in that restaurant* means they ate it, and it is finished. One nearby point: when *had* sits before another verb's past participle, as in *had eaten*, it forms the past perfect. That use is a different topic. Try spotting the meaning in one of the examples above before moving on. If you read *had* as ownership or a finished past action, that is the right result. If you take *I had a dog* to mean the person still has the dog, that is the wrong read, because *had* places it in the past. For the next step on this word, see the past perfect entry.
definition
An informal shortening of 'who are you telling', said when someone agrees with what they just heard, roughly meaning 'you're telling me' or 'I know'. Note the meaning is not fully settled: some usage describes it as surprise or disbelief instead, and context decides.
