"will" vs. "would"

Question

Intentionally long-winded sentence for the sake of grammar reviewing

If you wish for me to talk about every figure of rhetoric there is in the same breath, I would have to tell you I couldn't hold it for long enough.

VS

If you wish for me to talk about every figure of rhetoric there is in the same breath, I will have to tell you I couldn't hold it for long enough.

I feel that the second one sounds more usual. But I cannot explain why in a lucid way. In fact, for the first one argument could be made that would is often used with if clauses. Please help me out on this one.

Answer 1

Would is used to express things that are unlikely to happen in the future, not true (but potentially hopeful) in the present, and not true in the past.

For things that are likely to happen or that already happened, use a form of can.

• Can is the present tense.
• Could is the past tense
• Could is also the conditional