they would leave

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "they would leave" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express a hypothetical situation or a future action that is contingent upon certain conditions. Example: "If the weather doesn't improve, they would leave the event early."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

They would leave soon.

The New York Times - Magazine

Do you think they would leave?" "Leave?

The New Yorker

Surely they would leave me alone.

The New York Times - Magazine

"They would leave it at that".

The New York Times - Sports

They would leave their tapes.

The New Yorker

"They said they would leave a legacy.

The Guardian

They would leave us the ball.

The Guardian - Sport

"We wish they would leave," he said.

The New York Times

They would leave the valley altogether.

The New York Times - Magazine

They would leave their rooms only to obtain medical care.

Princeton University

After which she could stay and they would leave.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "they would leave" to describe hypothetical situations or past intentions that did not necessarily occur. For example, "If it rained, they would leave early."

Common error

Avoid using "they would leave" when "they will leave" is more appropriate for expressing a definite future action. "They will leave tomorrow" indicates a firm plan, while "they would leave" suggests a conditional or habitual action.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "they would leave" primarily functions as a modal verb phrase. It combines the pronoun "they", the modal auxiliary verb "would", and the main verb "leave". According to Ludwig AI, this construction often expresses hypothetical situations, past habits, or conditional statements.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

58%

Science

25%

Formal & Business

6%

Less common in

Wiki

2%

Academia

3%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "they would leave" is a modal verb phrase used to express hypothetical situations, conditional actions, or past habits. As noted by Ludwig, its grammatical status is correct, and it appears frequently across various contexts. It is most commonly found in news and media, followed by scientific and formal business writing. While versatile, it's important to differentiate its usage from "they will leave", which denotes a future certainty, to avoid grammatical errors. With a strong expert rating and a wide range of authoritative sources using the phrase, it's a reliable and valuable component of English expression.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

they had every intention of departing

Emphasizes a strong intent to leave.

they fully expected to leave

Emphasizes a high degree of certainty about leaving.

they were going to depart

Focuses on a previously made decision or plan to leave.

it was their intention to leave

A more formal way of stating their intent to leave.

they were about to go

Implies an imminent departure.

they intended to exit

Emphasizes a formal intention or plan to leave.

they anticipated leaving

Highlights the expectation of leaving.

they planned their departure

Highlights the planning stage before leaving.

they foresaw their exit

Implies a prediction or anticipation of their departure.

they were set to abandon

Suggests leaving something behind, possibly under duress.

FAQs

How can I use "they would leave" in a sentence?

You can use "they would leave" to express a conditional or hypothetical situation, such as "If the meeting ended early, "they would leave" right away". It can also describe a past habit or repeated action.

What's a more formal alternative to "they would leave"?

A more formal alternative could be "they intended to depart" or "it was their intention to leave", depending on the specific context.

Is there a difference between "they will leave" and "they would leave"?

"They will leave" indicates a future certainty, whereas ""they would leave"" suggests a conditional or hypothetical scenario. The latter implies a condition needs to be met for the action to occur.

When is it appropriate to use "they were going to leave" instead of "they would leave"?

"They were going to leave" indicates a plan or intention that existed in the past, while ""they would leave"" can express a hypothetical situation or a past habit. Use "they were going to leave" when referring to a specific past plan.