The sentence “Well, I wouldn’t say that.” is a common English expression used to indicate disagreement or to express a different opinion. The word “wouldn’t” in this context is used as a negated modal verb to convey polite disagreement (there is a tinge of a sense of doubt or uncertainty) . It is often used to express a negative opinion or to disagree with someone else’s statement. In this case, the speaker is indicating that they do not agree with the statement that was made previously.
The use of “wouldn’t” in this sentence is an example of negation. Negation is a grammatical term that refers to the use of negative words or phrases to express the opposite of an affirmative statement. In this case, the speaker is using “wouldn’t” to negate the statement that was made previously.
The word “would” in this context contains elements of both politeness and the hypothetical. By making something hypothetical, you make it more tentative, and that has the effect of softening the statement.
In the English Grammar Profile, A2 point 15 in MODALITY is defined:
would negative forms
*It is incredibly hard to find an example that is not already a part of another grammar point such as a conditonal sentence or willingness in the past. etc. A great deal of our examples are higher than A2.
PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE:
it wouldn’t take much time to change the system
and think about how to add new things
in order to help people to start the workday in a more enjoyable manner.
French male level 4 writing class.
Here are the most common “wouldn’t” phrases in PlayPhrase.me:
you wouldn’t happen to know (55)
where I could find her?
wouldn’t let us (49)
No,
to town.
You‘d like that, wouldn’t you? (46)
Wouldn’t you like to know? (34)
well I wouldn’t say (32)
I wouldn’t go that far (32)
wouldn’t know anything about that (32)
well I wouldn’t want (26)
you wouldn’t believe me if i told you (26)
you wouldn’t even know (26)
wouldn’t even let me (26)
it wouldn’t be the first time (25)
don’t do anything I wouldn’t do (24)
well I wouldn’t know (23)
wouldn’t want to see (21)
wouldn’t you say (186)
you wouldn’t understand (150)
it wouldn’t work (47)
wouldn’t you agree (47)
wouldn’t do anything (46)
it wouldn’t matter (45)
An iWeb search for modal verbs ending in ‘d’ + a form of ‘not’ reveals that the contracted ‘n’t’ is only slight more common. While contracted ‘‘d‘ + ‘not’ is much rarer.
*d_VM _XX
1 WOULDN’T 963740
2 WOULD NOT 880678
3 COULDN’T 867686
4 COULD NOT 702115
5 SHOULD NOT 655631
6 SHOULDN’T 385701
7 NEED NOT 71792
8 NEEDN’T 10878
9 ‘D NOT 5533 (zero examples in the TED corpus)
would _XX * * *
1 WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO 25200 B1 conditional:
I would not be able to do what I do
2 WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO 21647
3 WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED IF 9103
if you didn’t understand anything.
4 WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE 5029
5 WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE 5019
6 WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN ABLE 3717
7 WOULDN’T IT BE GREAT 3487
8 WOULDN’T WANT TO BE 3486
9 WOULDN’T IT BE NICE 3398
10 WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF 2867
11 WOULDN’T BE THE FIRST 2563
12 WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT 2295
that my coffee would not be possible
13 WOULD NOT HESITATE TO RECOMMEND 2170
14 WOULDN’T SURPRISE ME IF 2062
15 WOULD NOT BE COMPLETE WITHOUT 2057
16 WOULDN’T BE COMPLETE WITHOUT 2040
17 WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO 1994
18 WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED TO 1985
19 WOULDN’T BE A PROBLEM 1970
20 WOULD NOT BE A GOOD 1962
21 WOULDN’T WORRY ABOUT IT 1953
22 WOULDN’T HAVE IT ANY 1928
23 WOULDN’T BE THE SAME 1766
24 WOULDN’T WORRY TOO MUCH 1660
25 WOULD NOT BE IN THE 1627
26 WOULD NOT WANT TO BE 1604
27 WOULDN’T IT BE BETTER 1427
28 WOULDN’T SAY IT’S 1425
29 WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE 1380
30 WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM 1359
31 WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE. 1355
32 WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A 1311
33 WOULD NOT BE THE SAME 1295
34 WOULDN’T DO IT. 1274
35 WOULDN’T HAVE TO WORRY 1274
36 WOULDN’T YOU WANT TO 1263
37 WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO 1256
38 WOULDN’T BE A BAD 1254
39 WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT 1250
40 WOULD NOT COMMENT ON THE 1241
41 WOULDN’T YOU KNOW IT 1239
42 WOULDN’T WANT TO DO 1165
43 WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN A 1136
44 WOULDN’T CHANGE A THING 1113
45 WOULD NOT BE THE FIRST 1104
46 WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO 1090
47 WOULDN’T BE AN ISSUE 999
48 WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THE 996
49 WOULDN’T HESITATE TO RECOMMEND 978
50 WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE 975
51 WOULDN’T BE SO BAD 967
52 WOULDN’T WANT TO SEE 956
53 WOULDN’T BE OUT OF 939
54 WOULDN’T BE A GOOD 931
55 WOULDN’T KNOW HOW TO 929
56 WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH TO 923
57 WOULDN’T WANT TO HAVE 904
58 WOULDN’T HAVE HAD THE 902
59 WOULD NOT BE SUBJECT TO 902
60 WOULDN’T WANT TO GO 901
61 WOULDN’T BE IN THE 884
62 WOULDN’T YOU LIKE TO 876
63 WOULD NOT BE THE CASE 874
64 WOULDN’T LOOK OUT OF 847
65 WOULDN’T KNOW WHAT TO 843
66 WOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO 841
67 WOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE 835
68 WOULD NOT HESITATE TO USE 812
69 WOULDN’T HAVE TO BE 802
70 WOULDN’T BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT 795
71 WOULDN’T IT BE COOL 791
72 WOULD NOT BE OUT OF 782
73 WOULDN’T HAVE HAD TO 780
74 WOULDN’T IT? 779
75 WOULDN’T BE HERE. 773
76 WOULD NOT HAVE TO BE 768
77 WOULD NOT BE EXPECTED TO 746
78 WOULDN’T BE FAIR TO 739
79 WOULDN’T RECOMMEND IT. 734
80 WOULDN’T CALL IT A 729
81 WOULDN’T HAVE A PROBLEM 725
82 WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO 725
83 WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN THE 724
84 WOULDN’T HAVE DONE IT 724
85 WOULD NOT NEED TO BE 724
86 WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR 705
87 WOULDN’T TRADE IT FOR 686
88 WOULDN’T HAVE MADE IT 671
89 WOULDN’T BE SUCH A 670
90 WOULDN’T IT BE A 662
91 WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SO 660
92 WOULDN’T WORK. 657
93 WOULDN’T YOU SAY? 657
94 WOULDN’T WANT TO LIVE 656
95 WOULD NOT SURPRISE ME IF 655
96 WOULDN’T BE MUCH OF 653
97 WOULDN’T KNOW WHERE TO 637
98 WOULDN’T MAKE SENSE TO 620
99 WOULDN’T DO THAT. 617
100 WOULDN’T WORRY ABOUT THE 608
A2:
able, call, case, complete, cool, enough, fair, if, out, so, such, surprise, surprised, without