Misuse of the Conditional?

Question

I believe this is misuse of the Conditional tense in Spanish (a headline in the news)

"China estaría ordenando a su ejército prepararse para una Tercera Guerra Mundial"

Translation: China could/would be ordering its army to prepare for a third World War.

As far as I know there is no use of an "excuse" here, and they used an English style use of estaría ordenando. Yes, no? If this is true then how would you write the headline?

Maybe the journalist was so terrified at the thought of WW3 and the fact if this is true we're all going to die that he forgot how to speak - rabbitwho, Jan 27, 2012

Please read my revised answer. I had just woken up when I answered the first time. - pescador1, Jan 27, 2012

The use of the conditional is not only correct, but also very elegant. The sentence is perfect. - cogumela, Jan 27, 2012

Answer 1

This may be bad grammar, but I don't know the reason why.

Apple estaría trabajando en el futuro de la television. - a recent headline.

And here are 3 examples of the use of the gerund from gramaticas.net:

Ejemplos de Gerundio:

"Angela estaba leyendo"

"Braulio está escribiendo"

"Jorge estaría leyendo"

Juan could be reading... Apple could be working... It expresses probability just as English does.

Gerund was not problematic for me. It was the conditional, but I see there is a page that does explain use of conditional to express probability. I missed it I guess. - Pablo-Peligroso, Jan 27, 2012

Answer 2

I had to change my answer... jeje

I just read that the conditional can only be used to express possibility with past actions, and that the future must be used to express probability in the present.

As previously stated, the conditional is used for conjecture and to express probability with regards to a past action, as in the following example: ¿Qué hora sería? - What time could it have been? Serían las cinco. - It was probably five o'clock.

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If, however, the conjecture or expression of probability is about the present, the future tense is used: ¿Qué hora será? - What time can it be?Serán las cinco. - It is probably five o'clock.

So, I am back to being a bit confused again...

Yes, this is right! I messed it up a little in my first answer. - pescador1, Jan 27, 2012

So, what do you suppose it going on in that headline then? - NikkiLR, Jan 27, 2012

I just think It is saying "China was probably ordering.." - pescador1, Jan 27, 2012

That is the past tense "was". It makes sense if you read the article. - pescador1, Jan 27, 2012

For some reason I thought it said "is"... my bad. - NikkiLR, Jan 27, 2012

Answer 3

Sometimes the conditional tense or the future tense is used to express probability or conjecture with respect to the past. I would translate this more like "China was probably ordering..." or "It is likely that China was ordering..."

Aha! - Pablo-Peligroso, Jan 27, 2012

The future tense is used to express probability in the present... - NikkiLR, Jan 27, 2012

I know I saw my mistake and revised my answer. I think I need some coffee. - pescador1, Jan 27, 2012

No, I mean, it says that both are used to express probability in the past... the future is used to express probability in the present. - NikkiLR, Jan 27, 2012