WILL X WOULD

Would

Will

Won't can be used to talk about refusals. He won't talk to anybody. The car won't start.

- I really will give up smoking tomorrow. - We'll buy the tickets if you'll make the supper after the show. - There's the doorbell. I'll ring it. (NOT I ring it.) I'll have ... is often used when people order in cafés, restaurants.. etc: I'll have a black coffee, please.

Will can express willingness and intentions. We often use will to announce a decision at the moment when we make it.

Will you...? can introduce instruction, orders and request. Would you...? is softer, and can be used to make requests more polite. Will you ge me a paper while you're out? Will you be quiet, please? Would you watch the children for a few minutes?

Will: willingness

won't play.

I'll answer it.

I'll go to bed now.

if you'll dry.

if you'll map-read.

in the oven at 5:30?

shouting?

to this address, please?

what's wrong.

when you're ready to leave?

won't eat.

I will.

would you tell her I got her letter?

I'll drive _______________________________________ I'll wash up ____________________________________ I'm tired. I think ________________________________ If you see Ann, _________________________________ She won't tell us _______________________________ The cat ______________________________________ The phone's ringing ____________________________ This video _____________________________________ Who's going to get the tickets? ____________________ Will you deliver the furniture _____________________ Will you let me know ____________________________ Will you stop __________________________________ Would you put the meat _________________________

1 Put the beginnings and ends together. Example:

I'll hit you if you do that again. (NOT I hit you if...) You'll get your money tomorrow. (NOT You get...) I promise I'll stop smoking (NOT I promise I stop smoking.)

We can use will to make threats and promises. The simple present is not possible in this case.

If we stress will it can sound critical. She will fall in love with the wrong people.

She'll sit talking to herself for hours. If something breaks down and you kick it, it will often start working again.

We can use will to talk about habits and typical behaviour.

2 A boy left home for the first time to go to university. Look at the pictures, an write the promises he made to his parents. Begin: I promise I'll... or I promise I won't...

Structure of would

The basic structure for would (positive, negative and question sentences):

Talk about the past:

Would is an auxiliary verb - a modal auxiliary verb. We use would mainly to:

- On Saturdays, when I was a child we would all get up early and go fishing. - He was a nice boy, but he would talk about himself all the time. - Even as a boy, he knew that he would succeed in life. - I thought it would rain so I brought my umbrella.

Would

Talk about the past:

- On Saturdays, when I was a child we would all get up early and go fishing. - He was a nice boy, but he would talk about himself all the time. - Even as a boy, he knew that he would succeed in life. - I thought it would rain so I brought my umbrella.

- She said that she would buy some eggs. ("I will buy some eggs.") - The candidate said that he wouldn't increase taxes. ("I won't increase taxes.") - Why didn't you bring your umbrella? I told you it would rain! ("It's going to rain.")

Using would as as a kind of past tense of will or going to is common in reported speech:

- He wanted a divorce but his wife would not agree. - Yesterday morning, the car wouldn't start.

We often use would not to talk about past refusals:

- Every weekday my father would come home from work at 6pm and watch TV. - Every summer we'd go to the seaside. - Sometimes she'd phone me in the middle of the night. - We would always argue. We could never agree

We sometimes use would (rather like used to) when talking about habitual past behaviour:

- I wouldn't eat that if I were you. - If I were in your place I'd refuse. - If you asked me I would say you should go.

Using the same conditional structure, we often use would when giving advice:

- If he lost his job he would have no money. - If I had won the lottery I would have bought a car.

We often use would to express the so-called second and third conditionals:

would for conditionals

- Would you open the door, please? (more polite than: Open the door, please.) - Would you go with me? (more polite than: Will you go with me?) - Would you know the answer? (more polite than: Do you know the answer?) - What would the capital of Nigeria be? (more polite than: What is the capital of Nigeria?) - It’s hot in here, would you mind opening the window?

would for polite requests and questions

- I'd love to live here. - Would you like some coffee? - Would you like a piece of this cake? - What I'd really like is some tea.

would for desire or inclination

Fill in with the appropriate option:

would to

would

will

play

to play

playing

'd

wouldn't

would

he woulded

he would to

he'd

will

be

to be

2. He said that _________ help me.

3. I asked him to walk faster but he __________ at first.

4. As children we would _________ together every day.

5. Nobody knew that one day he ___________ be rich.

1. I knew he would __________ famous one day.

it will

it had

it would

seem'd

seems

seem

he would

he'd

he help

to like

liked

like

I'd

I'd would

would I

7. Would you ____________ to go?

8. Do you think he'd help? | I'm sure ______ if you asked.

9. He would _________ to be improving.

10. We want to play tennis. I wish ________ stop raining.

6. If you asked me ____________ say you were crazy.

won't

won't

wouldn't

wouldn't

will

will

would

would

would

would

1. I ___________ offer you some birthday cake, but we ate it all at the party yesterday. Sorry! 2. We've never had any pets. We _____________ have time to look after them. 3. Why on earth did you get a dog? You ___________ have time to look after it. 4. It's a pity Angela's left university. It _____________be more difficult for her to find a job. 5. It's a pity Angela's left university. It _____________be easier for her to find a job if she had a degree. 6. We've decided not to buy a new car this year. It _____________be too expensive. 7. If you give me your number, I _____________ call you tomorrow.

won't

won't

wouldn't

wouldn't

will

will

would

would

would

would

8. Our customers ______________ sign the contract unless we reduce our price by at least 3 per cent. 9. It's a lovely apartment, but it _____________be better if it had a balcony. 10. I don't know the answer to that question, but even if I did know, I _____________tell you!