My 'struggle' with 'would'. Please clarify it for me, please

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

I hear a lot of ‘would’ in sentences, like,

  • Why would you think that? instead of ‘Why do you think that?’

Can you please help me show the difference between these two sentences?

Thank you in advance

@Arinker, @Torsten, @Anglophile, @NearlyNapping

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2

It’s like I like to talk to you and I would like to talk to you.
To me, the use of would appears to be more polite.

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I just finished watching the final season of Downton Abbey, and I can imagine Lady Mary saying “How odd. Why would you think that.”
I think “would “ carrys the idea of questioning your reasoning.

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Exactly. If you say “Why would you think that” you are not really interested in the answer to that question. It’s more an expression of disapproval than a question. It’s more like saying “What makes you think that?” or “Are you serious?”

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Thank you again for your answer.

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6

Thanks Arinker. This is exactly what I was looking for.

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7

Thank you Torsten.

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