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Mia: This sounds like you actually have somethin' to say.

Vincent: Well, well, I do. I do. But you have to promise not to be offended.

Mia: No, no. You can't promise somethin' like that. I have no idea what you're gonna ask me. You can ask me what you're gonna ask me, and my natural response could be to get offended. Then, through no fault of my own, I would have broken my promise.

What does "could be to get offended" mean?

"could be to get offended" means that a possible outcome of what he says would be Mia getting offended?

Source: Pulp Fiction 1994

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    Mia's natural response could be, she says, to get (become) offended.
    – Michael Harvey
    Commented Jul 24, 2020 at 10:06
  • The words "could be" are copulative, just like the word "is". This is a conditional form of "the response is to get offended". The copulative verb equates "response" and "to get offended". So, yes, your interpretation is correct.
    – Jack O'Flaherty
    Commented Jul 24, 2020 at 15:10
  • Try replacing "could" with "might" and see if that helps.
    – WhatRoughBeast
    Commented Jun 29, 2023 at 3:12

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All of the following sentences are grammatically correct and equivalent in meaning:

  1. If you ask me a question, my natural response could be to get offended.

  2. If you ask me a question, I might become offended after hearing your question.

  3. If you ask me a question, your question might make me feel angry.

  4. If you ask me a question, I could get mad at you.

  5. If you ask me a question, it is possible that I might react emotionally.

  6. If you ask me a question, it is possible that it might produce a reaction of anger in myself.

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