WOULD in if-clauses

There. I said it.

“Do not accustom yourself to use big words for little matters.”

Do you find the use of "could" not "appropriate" (I don't know if it is the right word to use here) in the Longman example above?

"corporate bullshit" where people just fill up pages of stuff they they don't even believe themselves.

OK. You made me do this (for which I thank you). I'll bring my own personal feelings about this kind of thing in here. You are absolutely right. It defies logic, and even common sense, to write stuff like that in business communications. I wonder if you could. I'd be grateful if you would. Etc. It is obsolete. I work in UK government finance. We have a thing called the "Plain English Campaign". Adoption of it has a long way to go! Put briefly, say what you mean. use short sentences. Use a readable typeface (12pt Arial). The idea is to avoid all those extra words that don't add anything, that just take up time typing them, that put a distance between the writer and the reader, and (in my own opinion) lead, by a fairly short path, to the realm of "corporate bullshit" where people just fill up pages of stuff they they don't even believe themselves.

There. I said it.

I'll bring my own personal feelings about this kind of thing in here. You are absolutely right. It defies logic, and even common sense, to write stuff like that in business communications.