Will / Would
Expressing intent and refusal
Intent – Present versus Past
| FUTURE INTENT - WILL | PAST PERSPECTIVE – WOULD |
|---|---|
We use will to express determination to do something (volition).Using will for intent indicates the person will take action to cause something to happen. In the negative form, intent becomes refusal. |
When talking about intent in the past, we use would in the clause and place it within a past tense clause beginning with words such as: I thought... We hoped... They believed.. and other verbs of cognition. |
I will win this singing contest! I am determined to do so. |
I would win that contest. |
I will make judges want to vote for me. I am determined to get them to vote for me. |
I hoped that they would want to vote for me, but they didn't. |
We won't give up! We are determined not to quit. (refusal) |
I knew that we wouldn't give up. |
I will impress the judges. I am determined to do so. |
I expected that I would impress the judges. |
I will do the better! I am determined to do so. |
I thought that I would do better than I did. |
impress (v.) – make others think favorably about someone or something
Refusal – Present versus Past
| WILL NOT / WON'T | WOULD NOT / WOULDN'T |
|---|---|
We use will not or won't to express determination to do something (volition). In the negative form, intent becomes refusal. |
We use wouldn't to state refusal in a past time frame. |
The judges won't vote for me. They refuse. |
The judges wouldn't vote for me. They refused. |
They won't let me sing another song. They refuse. |
They wouldn't let me sing another song. They refused. |
I won't leave the stage. I refuse. |
I wouldn't leave the stage. I refused. |
Related pages: Would ( preference, request, habit, excuse) | Would vs Used to (habits) Would (hypothetical)
Practice
Determination / Refusal
- Select the response that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right.