What is a difference of meaning on following sentences;
1) I like to know that.
2) I would like to know that
#1 question makes perfect grammatical sense to me because the verb is in present form, but not on #2 because "would" is a past tense of "will". Logically and rationaly thinking, how can I want to know something in present (moment of making that statement to know something) but using past auxiliary verb??!!
I know that "would" is a auxiliary verb to help main verb "like", but I am perplexed why using past verb form of "would" is permitted?
Please provide advice..Thanks.
In your example, "would" has nothing to do with past time. Instead, it has a 'modal remoteness' meaning, a kind of 'hoped for' version of "want":
(1) I like to know that everything is okay.
(2) I would like to know that everything is okay.
In (1), the implication is that I am actually being made aware that everything is okay; it's an on-going situation that I am satisfied with.
But (2) is more tentative; I don't actually know that everything is okay at present, but I wish I did. It's something that I want to happen, though it may not be possible, hence it's modal remoteness interpretation.
Can you see the difference?
PaulM