would as "presumption" or "conditional"

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keannu

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A website explaining "would" categorizes the usage of "would" into many ways. The most confusing one is "presumption" and "conditional".

1. 'conditional'
  • [FONT=&#44404]You'd never know it. (for example: If you met him you would never know that he was rich.) [/FONT]
  • [FONT=&#44404]Why don't you invite Mary? I'm sure she'd come. [/FONT]
[FONT=&#44404]2. [FONT=&#44404]Presumption or expectation[/FONT][/FONT]​
[FONT=&#44404][FONT=&#44404]
  • [FONT=&#44404]That would be Jo calling. I'll answer it. [/FONT]
  • [FONT=&#44404]We saw a police helicopter overhead yesterday morning. | Really? They would have been looking for those bank robbers.[/FONT]
[FONT=&#44404]What is the criteria to distinguish presumtion and conditional? Espeically in conditional-clause-implied sentences like "I'm sure she would come", it seems either conditional or presumtion or the gray area between the two.[/FONT]
[FONT=&#44404][/FONT]
[FONT=&#44404]What if you just say "I think Jane would come to the party" while talking about the people who can come to the party with your friend? There is no conditional clause in advance or no if clause is implied here. You just guess she might come to the party[/FONT]
[FONT=&#44404][/FONT]
[FONT=&#44404]I think the difference could be that for "presumption", it could be either real or unreal as in the case "[FONT=&#44404]That would be Jo calling". The caller could be Jo, so it can real, but for conditional clauses, only when the conditional clause is met, the main clause can be real or unreal. But as the conditional clause is basically hypothetical and not true, so basically the main clause is no true. Am I right?[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=&#44404][FONT=&#44404][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&#44404][FONT=&#44404][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&#44404][/FONT]
[FONT=&#44404]This is really bothering me as Korean doesn't have any word exactly like "would". [/FONT]
[FONT=&#44404][/FONT]
[FONT=&#44404]If anyone knows the difference, please let me know.[/FONT]​
[/FONT][/FONT]
 

apex2000

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You have the conditional clear with those examples so on to presumption. That is like guessing. The phone rings, you expect or are waiting for Jo to call and you presume that it will be her. The chance is it may not be her.

Again as it is the police helicopter you guess it must be related to a police activity you are aware of, but again this is guessing, because you cannot know for sure.
Any statement made about a certainty of which you cannot know is a presumption. That you may be right is not the point. At the time you make the statement you are presuming.
 

keannu

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You have the conditional clear with those examples so on to presumption. That is like guessing. The phone rings, you expect or are waiting for Jo to call and you presume that it will be her. The chance is it may not be her.

Again as it is the police helicopter you guess it must be related to a police activity you are aware of, but again this is guessing, because you cannot know for sure.
Any statement made about a certainty of which you cannot know is a presumption. That you may be right is not the point. At the time you make the statement you are presuming.


=========================================
Thank you for your answer, but my question was "What is the difference between conditional's would and presumption's would?"
Are they basically same meaning only with or without if clause?
Thank you again!
 

keannu

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=========================================
Thank you for your answer, but my question was "What is the difference between conditional's would and presumption's would?"
Are they basically same meaning only with or without if clause?
Thank you again!
progress.gif
 

apex2000

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I suggest that you are trying too hard when all you really need to understand is that 'would' is the same in those examples; what is different is the information. The presumption comes from the unsaid 'if'.
Compare:
Jane would come.
Jane will come.

We saw the police helicopter........
They might have been looking for.....
Perhaps they were looking for....

Do come back if still uncertain.
 
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