Could I say
"I wouldn't agree with you"
instead of saying
"I don't agree with you"?
If I could, in which situation should I use the construction "I wouldn't agree with you"?
I'm wondering if the "I wouldn't agree with you" version is more polite than 'I don't agree with you'.
Moreover, I often come across that people use it without an "if clause" or an "if clause" is removed. Why?
Best Answer
would has lots of meanings. The two that are relevant to this question are:
The possibility option is appropriate when there is an if clause. It tends to be used about situations that are unlikely or impossible.
The polite opinion is appropriate if there is no if clause:
or even more tentatively:
Compare that with don't, where it is a simple statement of fact, with no attempt to be polite.