Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[bud]

Hi Muni,

I was hoping to find something that compares the use of 'will' and 'would,' but to no avail. There is a lot out there about how to use 'would,' however. Here is a summary followed by the links to my references, plus my own feeble attempt at a "rule" on when you should use 'will:'

Will

When referring to the future, use 'will' when the future event has already been decided upon. I'm using very loose definitions for 'event' and 'decided upon.' (Event = event, state of being, emotion, action, etc. --- Decided upon = planned, it is fully intended, it necessarily follows from a condition, etc.) It may be that the future event does not happen, but it was fully expected at the time of using 'will.'

If it snows, the roads will be slippery. (state of being, slippery, necessarily follows from the snow on the roads)
The town Council will meet Monday night at 7:30. (event is planned)
I will find a new job within the next two months. (action is fully intended)
Mary will be so happy if she gets that promotion. (the emotion necessarily follows the event)

Would

(Some of these rules might overlap. Also note that 'd is the contracted form of "would.")

Used for expressing habitual actions in the past: When he was alive, my grandfather would get up at 5 AM and make his breakfast.

Used for polite offers, requests and suggestions: Would you like some coffee? Would you lend me your pen for a minute? Maybe it would be a good idea if we left now.

"Would + like" is used to express things we want or don't want: I'd like it if we get a foot of snow for Christmas. Tom wouldn't like that.

"Would + rather" is used to express preferences: Would you rather have coffee or tea? I'd rather be happy than rich.

Used to express what you thought (in the past) about the future ("the future in the past"): Before the game -> I think the Yankees will win... After the game -> I thought the Yankees would win. I can't believe they didn't.

Used in some kinds of conditionals (Types 2 and 3; see website #3 for more explanation): If I learned to cook, I would eat Italian food every day. (the future conditional is more a wish than a probability.) If his car hadn't been on the fritz, he wouldn't have missed the party. (the conditional is in the past. The result is in the past's future, but in the present's past.)

Used for reporting what someone has said using 'will:' Muni said yesterday that she would be at the meeting. (Muni said yesterday: " I will be at the meeting.")

Used for expressing a wish: I wish it would stop raining.

Used in main clauses of sentences containing false or improbable conditionals: I would still keep my job even if I win the lottery.

Used to express the result of a past conditional: Did you see the mayor's speech on TV last Friday morning? No, I would have been working at that time.

1. http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/grammar/archive/would01.html

2. http://www.fortunecity.com/bally/durrus/153/gramch08.html

3. http://busboy.sped.ukans.edu/~allenq/netgrammar/Units/Unit_15/a101c15_201000.html

Well, I really don't think this makes it any clearer than my previous attempts. If you have the time, I'd study those web pages if I were you.

Merry Christmas, Muni. May the New Year be happy and prosperous for you, and as always, keep up the good work.

Best wishes,
Bud

[muni]

Dear Bud
Thank you so much for your help, you have to spent so much time on this , I am feeling guilty I always make mistakes using "will" and "would"
and you always try your best to explain it to me.
You are an excellant teacher I wish I could make you proud of myself, but see it's not easy to learn a foreign language I am trying my best and I know you are also trying your best.
Just want to tell you that your effort is well appreciated and I'll study those web site
Merry Christmas and happy new year
May God bless you with health, wealth and wisedom
best of luck
Muni