Will vs. Would

Will vs. Would

The two words “will and would” can be heard and seen almost everywhere. We use these words for different purposes. One of these can be used in different places with different meanings, so we are going to discuss this in detail. To know "will vs. would", we discuss will first and then would.

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Will

The word “will” is used as a modal verb and auxiliary verb. It is used to talk about a prediction, intention, willingness, offer, promise, request, command, or invitation. It is also used in conditional sentences and future tenses.

Uses of Will

Will for Prediction

To predict the future or present, you can use will. The prediction can also be about facts (things that always happen).

• Its cost will double in the upcoming months.
• He will be John knocking on the door.
• It is wool, so it will shrink.

Will for Intentions

One of the uses of will is for intentions.

• I will give him some money.
• I think I’ll have a cup of coffee.

Will for Willingness

When someone is willing to do something, he uses will. In such a case, it is often used with the pronoun “I”.

• I will pay the bill this time.
• I will collect wood for the fire.

Will for Offers

When you want to make an offer, you can use the word “will”.

• We will lend you money for your marriage ceremony.
• Don’t worry about coldness; I will give you my sweater.

Will for Promises

If you want to make a promise, you can use will, and you don’t need to use the word “promise”.

• I will sacrifice my life for your happiness.
• You may not trust anyone, but I will love you.

Will for Requests

Will has different uses. One of them is to make a request. You can use will to make a request.

• Will you lend me your car for today?
• Will you have my bag in your office for today?

Will for Commands

We can use will to give orders, commands, or rules. It creates a sense of authority.

• Will you stop talking!
• Will you bring that file to my office?

The latter example does not make a request or a suggestion. It is also an imperative command.

Will for Invitations

We can also use the word “will” to invite someone.

• Will you attend our marriage ceremony?
• Will you have dinner with us next Sunday?

Will in Conditional Sentences

In the first conditional, we often use the modal verb “will” in the main clause.

• If they work day and night, they will succeed.
• You will get rid of the problem if you think seriously about your problem.

Will as an Auxiliary Verb

Will is an auxiliary verb that we use in simple future tense. It is also a part of the auxiliary verb in future continuous tense, future perfect tense, and future perfect continuous tense.

• I will call you back tomorrow.
• I will be doing my assignment when you come.
• She will have cooked by the time I come.
• They will have been waiting since the morning when their father arrives.

Will for Future Habitual Events

We can use will for future habitual events.

• John will get up at 8:30. He will go out for walking. After having breakfast, he will come to our office.

Would

Would is a modal verb and the past form of the verb “will” in some cases. It is used for an imaginary situation, past habit, future in the past, request, proposal, preference, opinion, or refusal. It is also used in 1st and 2nd conditionals, as the past form of will, and after the word wish.

Uses of Would

Would for Imaginary Situations

The modal verb “would” has different uses, and one of them is for imaginary situations. When we talk about an imaginary situation, we use would for that.

• Lisa would look fit in a blue suit.
• I would be glad if John came to our party.

It means that Lisa does not have a blue shirt. John will not come to our party. In the examples, it is just imagined.

Would for Past Habits

When you want to express past habits, one way is to use would + an action verb.

• He would visit his aunt every weekend.
• When I was fifteen years old, I would play football every day.

Would for the Future in the Past

Future in the past means a past event that was a future event at some time in the past. We use would for that future event.

• I was assured that he would forget.
• I knew that they would leave this city.

Would for Requests

To make a formal request, you can use the word “would”.

• Would you please close the window?
• Would you help me in doing my assignment?

Would for Proposals

The word “would” is also used for a proposal.

• Would you like to drink something cold?
• Would you like to have dinner with us?

Would for Preferences

Words like love, hate, glad, prefer, or like are used with would for preferences.

• I would like to drink buttermilk these days.
• I would be glad to have someone to travel.

Would for Opinions

We can use would to give an opinion politely.

• I would say she will reject my friend’s proposal.
• The new employee would be better in the reception.

Would for Expressing Refusals

To express a refusal, the word “would” often in a negative form can be used.

• He tried to make me his friend, but I would not agree.
• He may propose to her, but she would not accept his proposal.

Would after the Word Wish

When you want an incident to occur the way you like to occur, you can use would after the word “wish”.

• I wish she would call me.
• I wish my father would buy me a gift.

Would in Indirect Speech

Would is used as the past form of the word “will” in indirect speech. The tense of a direct speech is changed when the reporting verb is in simple past tense. In this situation, we change would into will.

• Lisa said, “She will help her mother clean the kitchen.”
• Lisa said that she would help her mother clean the kitchen. 

Would in Conditional Sentences

The construction of a conditional has two clauses (a conditional clause and a main clause). We often use would in the main clauses of first conditional and second conditional.

• If they came on time, we would not be late.
• If I had known, I would have prepared everything on time.

Will vs. Would Examples

• They will enjoy the show.
• It will rain heavily tomorrow.
• Will you work an hour more today?
• If it snows, we will make some beautiful videos.
• I will distribute warm clothes among the poor.

• I would like to eat a burger now.
• If they had a DSLR camera, they would take pictures.
• They said that they would make some beautiful videos.
• He would sit in a prominent place among the people.
• He would be happy with black shoes but not with brown shoes.

 

Short Forms of Will and Would

The two words will and would have their short forms. The short form of will is …‘ll (I’ll, she’ll, we’ll). The short form of would is …‘d (we’d, he’d, you’d).

• They’d like to have breakfast.
• I’ll buy a new car for my brother.