Would

[Everestdude]

A: I don’t know what language this text is in. Jack would understand it. He is a linguist. I will ask him.
B: Jack would know the answer to your question. You should ask him.

Are sentence A and B correct? Are woulds in sentence A and B would of probability or second conditional?
Does “Jack would understand it.” in sentence A mean Jack is the likely person who understands the text?
Does “Jack would know the answer to your question” mean Jack is the likely person who knows the answer to your question?

 

[Tarheel]

The grammar is OK.

There may be other people who might know the answer to the question, but speaker happens to know Jack.

 

[emsr2d2]

A: I don’t know what language this text is in. Jack would understand it. He is a linguist. I will ask him.
B: Jack would know the answer to your question. You should ask him.

Are sentences A and B correct? Are the woulds in sentences A and B would of refer to probability or are they second conditionals?
Does “Jack would understand it no full stop here” in sentence A mean Jack is the likely person who is likely to understands understand the text?
Does “Jack would know the answer to your question” mean Jack is the likely person who is likely to knows know the answer to your question?

Note my corrections above.

Neither of them specifically mean that Jack is more likely than anyone else to understand/know. They both indicate the speaker's belief that, if asked, John would understand the text and know the answer.

 

[Everestdude]

Note my corrections above.

Neither of them specifically mean that Jack is more likely than anyone else to understand/know. They both indicate the speaker's belief that, if asked, John would understand the text and know the answer.

Thank you for the reply. Do you mean the following when you said, “if asked”?
A: If you showed the text to Jack, he would understand it.
B: If you asked Jack the question, he would know the answer.

 

[emsr2d2]

OP banned. Thread closed.