Please help

EverestCTS

CalifJim

EverestCTSWhat’s the purpose for using would of probability even though they know something certainly with no doubt?

Maybe the people who talk like that are just being silly. Or maybe it's their way of being mildly sarcastic? Saying something as if they doubt it when they are telling you at the same time that "Of course this is true. You should know this." Or maybe there is something else in the general context that is doubtful or uncertain.

It's impossible to know every reason why someone speaks as they do.

But I don't recommend that you use would like that. If you really know that something is true, don't use would.

CJ

I think some people use it on purpose to sound polite or to not offend people or for other various reasons. I won’t use would of probability if I know something certainly.

CJ, please check my understanding on the use of would in the sentence below.

A: A: I don’t know what language this is. I think Jack would understand it. He is a linguist.

Here is the context for sentence A. I know that Jack is a linguist and he knows many languages. I don’t know for sure if Jack understands this language that I am looking at. I am looking at a piece of paper with some unknown language alone. I am making an expectation or assumption that Jack might know this language based on the knowledge that he is a linguist and knows many languages. With this context, I am using would of probability in sentence A correct? This is not a conditional sentence, correct?

If my understanding is correct on sentence A, I am clear on would of probability, conditional woulds finally. ??????