… and I would deeply regret missing the opportunity to speak with you further.

[Bin Duan]

I know that the model verb would will appear in some of the if conditional clauses, but I sometimes notice it also occurs in many without if. This bothers me a lot in the letter above, because I’m not sure if the word would contains certain meaning that I will misunderstand. Please tell me this word is the same word that should be exist in the typical if cause without if. Thank.

 

[teechar]

Where did you get that text from? Please cite it properly (author, publisher, year). Also, was it translated by someone into English?

 

[Tarheel]

Try:

I know that the modal verb "would" appears in some "if" conditional clauses ....

 

[Bin Duan]

Where did you get that text from? Please cite it properly (author, publisher, year). Also, was it translated by someone into English?

My apologies for being so careless that I constantly tend to forget sticking to the rules. These two pictures above is the contents of a letter I took from a video game while playing, the name of which is called “The Uncharted 4: A thief’s End.” It is a 2016 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the fourth main entry in the Uncharted series. Set several years after the events of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, players control Nathan Drake, a former treasure hunter coaxed out of retirement by his presumed-dead brother Samuel.
This letter was something appeared in the memory of Nathan, the younger brother. In the memory, he and his older brother Samuel was searching for their mother’s notebook in a humongous mansion that they trespassed. Nathan bumped into the letter along the way.

 

[Barque]

but I sometimes notice it also occurs in many without if.

It's used correctly in that sentence. It means "If I missed the opportunity, I would regret it". The "if" part is implied.

By the way, "would" can be used in a couple of other ways too, without an express or implied "if" clause.

 

[teechar]

It's used correctly in that sentence. It means "If I missed the opportunity, I would regret it". The "if" part is implied.

That's incorrect. The text clearly says "I would deeply regret missing the opportunity". In other words "I would regret X". You changed it to "if I X". That's wrong.

I know that the model modal verb "would" will appear can be used in some of the if conditional clauses

Yes, but here, it's used by a non-native speaker in a highly casual setting. They should have used "will" instead.

By the way, "would" can be used in a couple of several other ways too, without an express or implied "if" clause.

See correction above, and link below.

Definitions of would - OneLook

www.onelook.com

 

[Barque]

That's incorrect. The text clearly says "I would deeply regret missing the opportunity". In other words "I would regret X". You changed it to "if I X". That's wrong.

The opportunity hasn't arisen yet.

When he says he would regret missing that opportunity, the only thing it could mean is that if he missed the opportunity, he'd regret it.

I didn't change it to "If I X". I said the "if I" part was implied. That's the only meaning that arises from the context.

 

[Barque]

See correction above, and link below.

The word "couple" can mean a small number just a little greater than two, and so can "several".

 

[teechar]

I didn't change it to "If I X".

It means "If I missed the opportunity,

Yes you did!

The word "couple" can mean a small number just a little greater than two, and so can "several".

But "would" has more than just a couple of uses!

 

[Barque]

Are you saying "I would regret missing the opportunity", in the context of the quoted passage, does not mean "If I missed the opportunity, I'd regret it"?

Yes you did!

Maybe I misunderstood you. I agree I said it implies "If I", and I still say that.

But "would" has more than just a couple of uses!

I used "couple" to mean "a few". The word you used, "several", has a very similar meaning, though I agree "several" usually implies more than "couple". Anyway, I don't want to argue this point and I'll concede "couple" may not have been the absolute right choice.

 

[teechar]

Maybe I misunderstood you. I agree I said it implies "If I", and I still say that.

There is no ifs or buts about it. It's not a conditional. The speaker will be out of the city, so he/she WILL (not would) miss the opportunity.

 

[Tarheel]

@Bin Duan This is getting complicated quickly. Also, you have things to work on other than fine points of grammar. (My opinion.)

 

[teechar]

You're right, Tarheel.
Thread closed.

 

[5jj]

Thread closed.

Sorry, but I needed to clarify a couple of things.

There is no ifs or buts about it. It's not a conditional.

It is not a conditional as it stands, but Barque did not claim it was. They said that "If I missed the opportunity" was implied.

The speaker will be out of the city, so he/she WILL (not would) miss the opportunity.

The speaker will be in town for another month and hopes the person addressed will have time for a meeting.