Will vs. Would
'Will' and 'would' have similar functions which is why learners confuse them. However, there are differences between them that we will learn in this lesson.
What Is Their Main Difference?
Modal Verb Will
'Will' is a modal verb used to talk about the future. It also indicates willingness, possibilities, etc. For example:
I
We
Modal Verb Would
'Would' is a modal verb that indicates future events, possibilities, willingness, etc. 'Would' is the past tense of 'will.' For instance:
I
Similarities
Making Predictions
Prediction in the Future
'Will' is used to make predictions about the future. We think these predictions are going to happen. For example:
The gallery
It
Prediction in the Past
We use 'would' to talk about actions and events that were supposed to happen in the future but perhaps now they have or never have happened.
He said he
I thought the answer
Talking about Willingness
We use 'will' and 'would' to indicate our willingness or unwillingness to do something. Take a look at the following examples:
Nina
Nina
Talking about Habits
'Will' and 'would' are used to talk about routine actions that are called habits.
- 'Will' refers to habits and routine actions that still occur to this day and perhaps will continue in the future.
- 'Would' refers to past habits that are no longer pursued.
For instance:
He
Making Requests
We use requests to ask others to do specific actions. Requests are polite and often used formally. 'Will' and 'would' are both used to make requests but note that 'would' is politer than 'will.' Take a look at the following examples:
Negation and Question
We can use modal verbs such as 'will' and 'would' to create negative and interrogative forms.
To make a negative, we simply add 'not' to the modal verb:
- Will → Will not → Won't
- Would → Would not → Wouldn't
You can see the process of negation in the following examples:
I
It
To make questions with sentences that contain a modal verb, we simply invert the modal verb. For instance:
You
He
With Other Modals
Modal verbs are never the only verb of the sentence since they must be used with the main verb, however, we cannot use modal verbs with other modal verbs. In other words, we cannot have more than one modal verb in a clause. Take a look at these incorrect examples:
You will could be late to work.
I would shall like a sandwich.
Differences
Making Assumptions
Assumptions are ideas or beliefs of a person without any proof. 'Will' can be used to make an assumption about the present and the future, and if it is followed by a perfect infinitive structure, it can talk about the past as well. For example:
The project
She
Making Offers
Offers are statements used to ask if someone likes to do something. We use 'would' with 'like' as the main verb to give polite offers. For example:
With Conditionals
We use 'will' and 'would' as conditional verbs. You can see them with all conditional types in the table below:
| Will | Would | |
|---|---|---|
| Conditional Type 1 | ✓ | ✓ |
| Conditional Type 2 | ✗ | ✓ |
| Conditional Type 3 | ✗ | ✓ |
| Zero Conditionals | ✗ | ✗ |
Conditional Type 1
'Will' and 'would' are 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 been. This past never occurred and we are 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
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