would(2)

[Shinya Maki]

Hello everyone.

The following sentence is from a novel. How is the “would” used here? Is this something like the phrase “as …as …can(could) …” Could you give me a hint.

He spotted a bartender behind the bar, pushing out plastic glasses of beer as fast as the tap would pour them.

Best regards,
Shinya Maki

[Rusty]

Hello everyone.

The following sentence is from a novel. How is the “would” used here? Is this something like the phrase “as …as …can(could) …” Could you give me a hint.

He spotted a bartender behind the bar, pushing out plastic glasses of beer as fast as the tap would pour them.

Best regards,
Shinya Maki Would is used with a sense of repetition in the past.
Example: That's the way it would work.