4.117 unwillingness: 'would not'

When 'would' is used with 'not' to talk about something that happened in the past, it has a special meaning. It is used to say that someone was unwilling to do something, or refused to do something.

• They just would not believe what we told them.
• After all this, I wouldn't come back to the farm.

The use of modals to express unwillingness or a refusal is dealt with fully in paragraphs 4.200 to 4.205.