Short talk?

Question

A conversation between an employee and boss.An employee: When would you be leaving for California?Boss: Probably next week.Is this conversation correct?

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

You posted this same question three or four times. The duplicates have been deleted. Please post each question only once!

Clive · Answer

My answer is the same as the one I gave you in your other recent thread about 'would'.

CalifJim · Answer

anonymousAn employee: When would you be leaving for California?

Unless 'would' is used in the idiom 'would like', or a synonym, we don't usually start a conversation using the modal verbs 'will' or 'would', so this sounds to me like a strange way to start this dialog. Of course, you may have intended this to be just a few lines out of a longer dialog.

The sentence is grammatically correct, but it is probably used more often at a point in the conversation where one of the speakers might have to change his own plans in order to participate in some kind of joint venture. In all the examples below, which are based on what I've found on the internet, "when would you be leaving" is used because the success of an anticipated action is contingent upon the time of leaving.

— I'm thinking about taking a trip to London, and I wondered if you might like to accompany me.
— When would you be leaving, and for how long?
[adapted from Virginia Gold, by William Thomas]

— I need to get a Yamaha Banshee ATV from Oregon to Texas. It fits in a pickup truck.
— I can do it. I'm going to Texas myself.
— When would you be leaving Oregon?
— Tomorrow.
— Great! How can I ...
[adapted from an online conversation on uship.com]

A: What are you doing this weekend?
B: I am not sure. What are you doing?
A: I was thinking of maybe taking a drive to the beach.
B: That sounds like a great idea!
A: Would you be interested in joining me?
B: Sure, I would love to go with you. When would you be leaving?
A: I thought that we could leave around 8:00 on Saturday morning.
B: That would give us plenty of time to explore. Did you know that there is a
music festival on the beach in Santa Barbara?
A: That was part of my plan.
B: Well then, I'll see you on Saturday. Thanks for asking me to go with you.
[example dialog on https://rasianisanti.blogspot.com]

Note: This dialog does notstart with "What would you be doing this weekend?"

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Would you also mind checking my longer version conversation please?

Me: How are you, Sir?

Boss: I am doing great. What about yourself?

Me: I am doing awesome. Thank you. Sir, I heard you are going to New York soon. When would you be leaving for New York?

Boss: That's correct. I will probably leave next week.

Is this conversation correct?

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