Will and Would
Will and would are fundamental modal verbs that express future intentions, predictions, willingness, habits, and polite requests in English. These versatile modals are essential for discussing plans, making predictions, expressing willingness to help, and communicating politely in both formal and informal situations. Understanding their multiple functions is crucial for effective English communication.
Will is primarily associated with future events, but it also expresses willingness, refusal, and habitual behaviour. Would serves multiple functions including polite requests, past habits, hypothetical situations, and preferences. Both modals are vital for expressing different degrees of certainty, politeness, and formality in various contexts.
These modals help you navigate complex social interactions by allowing you to make requests diplomatically, express future plans with appropriate certainty, discuss hypothetical scenarios, and describe patterns of behaviour. They are essential tools for professional communication, academic writing, and everyday conversation where tone and politeness matter.
Mastering will and would will give you sophisticated tools for expressing future intentions, making polite requests, discussing possibilities, and communicating with appropriate levels of formality and certainty. These modals are fundamental for anyone who wants to communicate effectively and appropriately in English-speaking environments.
Formation
Will
Subject + will + base verb
Future plans, predictions, willingness, refusal, and habits
Future:
- I will call you tomorrow.
- She 'll arrive at six.
- We will finish next week.
- They 'll be here soon.
Willingness:
- I will help you move.
- She will lend you money.
- We won't give up.
- They will support us.
Questions:
- Will you help me?
- Will she be there?
- Won't they come?
- What will happen?
Would
Subject + would + base verb
Polite requests, past habits, hypothetical situations, preferences
Polite requests:
- Would you help me?
- Would you mind closing the door?
- I would like some coffee.
- Would it be possible to...?
Past habits:
- I would walk to school daily.
- She would always be late.
- We wouldn't eat meat then.
- They would visit every summer.
Hypothetical:
- I would travel more if I could.
- She would be perfect for this job.
- What would you do?
- That wouldn't work here.
Continuous Forms
Subject + will/would + be + -ing
Ongoing future actions and polite assumptions about current activities
Will be + -ing:
- I will be working late tonight.
- She 'll be travelling next month.
- We will be living abroad soon.
- They won't be attending the meeting.
Would be + -ing:
- I would be studying now if I were you.
- She would be working if she felt better.
- We would be celebrating in normal times.
- They wouldn't be complaining usually.
Will vs Going To
Will (decisions made at speaking moment):
""I will answer it." (phone rings, spontaneous decision)"
Going to (planned decisions):
""I am going to call her tonight." (already planned)"
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ "I will to call you tomorrow."
✅ "I will call you tomorrow."
Don't use 'to' after modal verbs - they take the base form
❌ "She wills come tomorrow."
✅ "She will come tomorrow."
Modal verbs don't change form - no 's' for third person singular
❌ "Would you can help me?"
✅ "Would you help me? / Could you help me?"
Don't combine modal verbs - use one or rephrase
❌ "I would like to going there."
✅ "I would like to go there."
After 'would like to', use the infinitive base form
❌ "Will you like some coffee? (offering)"
✅ "Would you like some coffee?"
Use 'would like' for polite offers, not 'will like'
Politeness Levels for Requests
From most to least formal:
Future Forms: Will vs Going To vs Present Continuous
Will:
- Spontaneous decisions: "I'll answer the phone"
- Predictions: "It will rain tomorrow"
- Promises: "I will help you"
- Willingness: "I will do it"
Going to:
- Planned decisions: "I'm going to study tonight"
- Predictions with evidence: "It's going to rain" (dark clouds)
- Intentions: "I'm going to learn Spanish"
Present Continuous:
- Fixed arrangements: "I'm meeting her at 6"
- Definite plans: "We're flying to Paris tomorrow"
- Scheduled events: "The train is leaving at 9"
Would in Different Contexts
Polite requests:
""Would you help me with this?" (more polite than "Will you help me?")"
Past habits:
""When I was young, I would visit my grandparents every weekend.""
Hypothetical:
""If I were rich, I would travel the world." (second conditional)"
Preferences:
""I would rather stay home tonight." / "I would prefer tea to coffee.""
Reported speech:
She said she would call me later. (originally "I will call you later")
Past Habits: Would vs Used To
Would (repeated actions only):
- ✅ "I would walk to school every day"
- ✅ "She would always be late"
- ❌ "I would live in London" (states, not actions)
- ❌ "I would have long hair" (permanent conditions)
Used to (actions and states):
- ✅ "I used to walk to school every day"
- ✅ "She used to always be late"
- ✅ "I used to live in London"
- ✅ "I used to have long hair"
Quick Reference Guide
Key Points:
- Will: Future plans, spontaneous decisions, willingness, predictions
- Would: Polite requests, past habits, hypothetical situations, preferences
- Politeness: Would is more polite than will for requests
- Future forms: Will (spontaneous), going to (planned), present continuous (arranged)
- Past habits: Would for repeated actions, used to for actions and states
- Refusal: Won't/wouldn't express unwillingness or things not working
- Conditionals: Would is essential in second conditional (If I were...)
- Offers: "Would you like...?" not "Will you like...?"
- Continuous: Will/would be + -ing for ongoing future/hypothetical actions