"Bryan Morris" wrote in message
...
In message , Robin writes
ce?

Traditionally it's the difference between:

a. a statement of (expected) fact: eg "you will read this post"; and
b. an order or command: eg "you shall read this post" [often with an
explicit or implicit "or else"]

Many years ago now I was the personal assistant to the senior partner in a
professional firm.

In the days before computers / word processors I often dictated reports of
maybe hundreds of pages to my secretary. When finished the reports then
went to the senior partner to sign and send to clients. Many pages with
diagrams, graphs, forecasts, tables, etc.

Quite often the reports came back with lines through many pages because
the senior partner did not like my use of would, should, shall, will,
could, can etc. Meaning my secretary often had to retype the whole report

I felt like I could have killed him

I felt like I should have killed him

I felt like I would have killed him

Like the English tourist who fell into Loch Ness, and shouted 'I will drown
and no one shall save me'

So they left him to get on with it...

James