I will/would interpret it as

[Tarheel]

I will provide you with such a sentence when I have time. (You can't use "would" there.)

It's important to remember that "would" is not always the past tense of "will". Sometimes it stands on its own.

I will get back to it when I finish breakfast.

 

[Tarheel]

The word "will" indicates determination, intention, or a simple fact.

"The sun'll come up in the morning. You can bet your bottom dollar it will."
I'll get back to you on that.
I'll do it tomorrow.
I'll do it right after breakfast.
You can count on me. I'll do it.

 

[jutfrank]

You don't need any modal verb to say directly what you mean. Simply:

I interpret it as ...

However, to create a little distance, you could use would, like this:

I would interpret it as ...

This use of would can be understood as a kind of implied conditional result ([If you were to ask me], I would interpret it as ... ) but I think it's much more useful to think of it simply as a way for a speaker to create some distance between herself and what she's saying. It's not particularly useful to posit any actual conditionality here, I don't think, whether it's real or unreal.

You can't use will here because it doesn't work to create this distance that past tense would does. You can't understand the sentence as a result of a real condition: (*If you ask me, I will interpret it as ... ).

 

[Kontol]

However, to create a little distance, you could use would, like this:

I would interpret it as .

Could you explain what's meant by "to create a little distance" in this context?

 

[jutfrank]

Could you explain what's meant by "to create a little distance" in this context?

Sometimes, if we don't want to commit fully to what we think, we can remove ourselves a little from what we say, so we can't be held quite so responsible for saying it. This distancing makes you sound more tentative.

 

[Tarheel]

You don't want to go out on a limb. I might want to say something, but it's not something I want to argue about.