Who "would" hide your cap in the tree?

[sitifan]

Nora: Hey, Harry! What are you doing? It's dangerous up there.
Harry: Um...I'm looking for my cap. It's somewhere up here.
Sally: Who would hide your cap in the tree?

In the above dialog, what does "would" mean?

[2006]

Originally Posted by sitifan

Nora: Hey, Harry! What are you doing? It's dangerous up there.
Harry: Um...I'm looking for my cap. It's somewhere up here.
Sally: Who would hide your cap in the tree?

In the above dialog, what does "would" mean?

Here "would" expresses possibility, intention, desire.
"Who would hide your cap in the tree?" has the combined meaning of the following sentences.
1...Who are the people that could possibilty have hidden your cap in the tree? (Who had the chance to hide your cap in the tree?)
2...Who had the intention/desire to hide your cap in the tree?

"Who would hide your cap in the tree?" can also express doubt that anybody hid your cap in the tree.

This is not easy to explain clearly or to master quickly, but I hope it helps some. Maybe others will add to it.

[sitifan]

Can Sally say "Who will hide your cap in the tree"?

[2006]

Originally Posted by sitifan

can sally say "who will hide your cap in the tree"? not with the same meaning as "would"

the "will" sentence means that somebody is going to hide your cap in the tree, and you are asking who that person is.

2006