 Fri Jan 11, 2008 21:06 pm she wouldn't know |
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| KLPNO wrote: | Hello everyone
I'd like to ask about the meaning of 'would' in the following context:
A few people are talking. One of them asks another about something and before she can answer another person says, "Don't ask her. She wouldn't know."
Does the phrase "she wouldn't know" mean "I think that she doesn't know", i.e. "I'm not certain," or does it mean "I'm completely sure that she does not know"?
And can 'will' be used instead of 'would' i.e. "She won't know"? |
Even though the person who says "Don't ask her. She wouldn't know." is apparently being rather presumptuous and impolite (because he/she interrupts "her" before she can answer for herself), the use of "would" is nevertheless more tentative and a bit less presumptuous than "She won't know" or "She doesn't know". We often use this sort of tentativeness in order to say something more politely. However, in the given situation, it doesn't seem polite in the least, does it? It's not polite to simply interrupt and put words into someone else's mouth. Perhaps you could say that the third person is looking at the situation this way:
"She wouldn't be able to give you answer without guessing. So, even if she gave you an answer, it probably wouldn't be right -- because I think that she simply doesn't know!"
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English |
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