The kind that Mrs Elm would once have had in her school library.

[shootingstar]

The computer was a really old-fashioned-looking, cream-coloured boxy one on the desk by the papers. The kind that Mrs Elm would once have had in her school library. She was at the keyboard now, typing with urgency, staring at the monitor as Nora stood behind her.
(The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, episode System Error)

Do you read "would once have had" as a conditional phrase in this quote, or do you read it as a typical state/fact or habitual situation in the past?

 

[5jj]

You have been a member long enough to know that we require you to give the source, title and author, of any passage you quote, @shootingstar.

 

[emsr2d2]

The computer was a really old-fashioned-looking, cream-coloured boxy one on the desk by the papers. The kind that Mrs Elm would once have had in her school library. She was at the keyboard now, typing with urgency, staring at the momitor as Nora stood behind her.
(The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, episode System Error)

Do you read "would once have had" as a conditional phrase in this quote, or do you read it as a typical state/fact or habitual situation in the past?

I wouldn't quite call it a habitual situation. It simply means that the computer Nora can see is of the type that was around when Mrs Elm worked in the school library. Nora is making two assumptions:
1. Mrs Elm had a computer in the school library.
2. At that time, her computer was the same kind she's now looking at.

 

[shootingstar]

It simply means that the computer Nora can see is of the type that was around when Mrs Elm worked in the school library.

2. At that time, her computer was the same kind she's now looking at

Then, why isn't the author saying "The kind that Mrs Elm once had had in her school library"? What does the author want to express using the word "would" in this wording?

 

[emsr2d2]

Then no comma here why isn't didn't the author saying say "The kind that Mrs Elm once have had in her school library"?

1. "once have had" is ungrammatical.
2. If they'd written "The kind that Mrs Elm once had ...", it would express absolutely certainty.

What does the author want to express using the word "would" in this wording?

They want to express an assumption of a fairly high likelihood but not a certainty.

 

[shootingstar]

I understand now. You don't read "would once have had" as a conditional phrase, nor do you read it as "talking about things in the past that happened often or always" . . .

(Cambridge)


. . . You take "would once have had" to mean an "opinionor or assumption that you are not certain about" (you say an "assumption of fairly high likelihood but not a certainty").

(Oxford)

(Collins)

(Collins)


To recap, "would once have had" is an opinion or assumption of fairly high likelihood about a habitual/ordinary state in the past.

 

[jutfrank]

Do you read "would once have had" as a conditional phrase in this quote

No.

or do you read it as a typical state/fact or habitual situation in the past?

Yes.