What Is Their Main Difference?
Modal Verb Will
'Will' is a modal verb used to talk about the future. It also indicates willingness, possibility, etc. For example:
I
We
Modal Verb Would
'Would' is a modal verb that can be used to express hypothetical or conditional events or actions in the present or future, as well as to express willingness, requests, or preferences. Additionally, 'would' is often used as the past tense of 'will'. For instance:
I
Differences
Making Predictions
Prediction in the Future
'Will' is used to make predictions about the future. We use 'will' when we are certain that an event is going to happen. For example:
The gallery
It
Prediction in the Past
'Would' is often used to refer to a past prediction that did not come true, or to suggest an alternative outcome to a past event.
He said he
I thought the answer
Talking about Willingness
We can use both 'will' and 'would' to express willingness or unwillingness to do something. However, 'will' indicates a strong willingness or determination to do something, while 'would' is often used to express a more tentative or conditional willingness or preference.
Nina
Nina
Talking about Habits
'Would' can be used to talk about past habits or repeated actions that occurred in the past. This usage of 'would' is often used to describe a habit or routine that a person regularly did in the past, but no longer does. 'Will' cannot be used for this purpose.
He
When I was a kid, we
Politeness
'Would' is often used to express a polite request or offer. While requests ask someone for something, offers ask if someone wants something. We use 'would' with 'like' as the main verb to give polite offers and use it with or without 'mind' to make polite requests. For example:
We can also use 'will' to make requests, but it is more direct and less polite. Pay attention to the examples:
Reported Speech
'Would' is also sometimes used to report speech or thoughts in the past tense.
When reporting speech, we often shift the tense of the verb back one tense. So, if the original statement used 'will', we would shift the tense back to the past and use 'would' in the reported speech. This is known as backshifting. Pay attention to the examples:
Direct speech: I
Reported speech: She said she
With Conditionals
'Will' and 'would' are used in conditional sentences. Take a look at the table below to see which types of conditionals use 'will' and which types use 'would':
| Will | Would | |
|---|---|---|
| Conditional Type 1 | ✓ | ✓ |
| Conditional Type 2 |
|
✓ |
| Conditional Type 3 |
|
✓ |
| Zero Conditionals |
|
|
Conditional Type 1
'Will' and 'would' are both used in conditional type 1. In this type, we show a condition or situation and its results. These situations are real with a high chance of occurrence. For example:
If you don't drink enough water, you
If you don't drink enough water, you
Conditional Type 2
'Would' is used in conditional type 2. In this type, we talk about a hypothetical situation in the present or future that is imaginary and has a low chance of occurrence. Note that 'will' cannot be used in this type. Have a look:
If it wasn't rainy, we
If he really loved me, he
Conditional Type 3
Conditional type 3 talks about an imaginary past that could have happened. This past never occurred and we are only imagining a different past. We use 'would' in this type of conditional. 'Will' cannot be used in this type as it cannot refer to the past. For example:
I
She
Comments
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