Question: Good day everyone, please help me with my confusion.

**"This worked" vs "This would work"**

First, **"This worked"** is in the past tense, and **"This would work"** is in

the past tense too since **"Would"** is the past tense of **"Will"**.

In short, they are both in the past tense, but my question is what are their differences? And 

what makes them different from each other?

Thanks in advance!

Answer: 
The word "would" in that case was not used as the past tense of "will." According to Merriam-Webster, the word "would" can also be used to "talk about a possible situation that has not happened or that you are imagining." (Source: <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/would>)
As long as *would* is considered with a condition, you invoke an imaginary situation set in the present:

> 
> This would work *if* you did it. (You don't do it, so it doesn't work.
> 
> 
> 

Now, the use of *would* can be considered as a repeated action or habit in the past (adding more context):

> 
> When I was a child, this *would* always work. (Repeated action in the past that it's different now in the present.)
> 
> 
> 

So basically as you were told, the past simple only adds info. of a completed action in the past on a specific time. Either *would* introduces a conditional sentence or a repeated action.