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Tenjing Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

Difference between would have and may have

What's the difference between would have and may have in the conversations? Or they are almost same?

Jack: How old may he have been he when his father left him?
Alex: He may have been fourteen. I think so.

Jack: how old would he have been when his father left him?
Alex: He would have been fourteen. I think so.
  

Top answer

The first question is not vey natural. In response to the second question, 'will' shows certainty (but does not present the response as fact), 'would' shows less certainty, 'may' shows possibility. In my variety of English, 'Yes, I think he was' is more natural than 'I think so' here'

— Fivejedjon

  • The first question is not vey natural.
  • In response to the second question, 'will' shows certainty (but does not present the response as fact), 'would' shows less certainty, 'may' shows possibility.
  • In my variety of English, 'Yes, I think he was' is more natural than 'I think so' here'
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9 Answers
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The first question is not vey natural.

In response to the second question, 'will' shows certainty (but does not present the response as fact), 'would' shows less certainty, 'may' shows possibility. In my variety of English, 'Yes, I think he was' is more natural than 'I think so' here'
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I am still not clear. Are the both conversations correct?
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tenjing I am still not clear. Are the both conversations correct?
On these forums, if a native speaker says something is not "natural", you can consider it incorrect.
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PhilipOn these forums, if a native speaker says something is not "natural", you can consider it incorrect.
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fivejedjonnothing in that sentence that is 'incorrect' by any rules of grammar that I know of, but it is something that no native speaker that I have ever met would say. It's at such times that I resort to 'unnatural'.
Agreed! That's why I said consider it incorrect, That is, don't use it. I hesitate to add too much additional information that may lea
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I am asking for a yes/no question. That's it. My question is, is the use of 'would've' and 'may have' correct in thee conversations?
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No apologies for the flippancy of my last response, tenjing. You have been around long enough to know that it's not as simple as that. Even if you hadn't, the posts from Philip and me should have given you a clue.

Jack: How old would he have been when his father left him? Alex: He would have been fourteen.
Fine.

Jack: How old would he have been when his father lef
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Thanks a lot, Fivejedjon. I finally understood what you were trying say. Appreciated.
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