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Will / Would

Expressing intent: determination and refusal

 

 

 

Intent vs. Scheduled
WILL – INTENT WILL – SCHEDULED

Use will to express determination to do something (volition). In the negative form, intent becomes is refusal. Using will for intent indicates the person will take action to cause something to happen.

Use will to indicate that something is scheduled, expected to happen, or a predictabe and reoccurring event. Using will for scheduled events indicates the event will happen as a matter of course without any particular action taken.

Next month, I will get a raise in salary. I am  determined to do so.

Next month, I will get a raise. It's scheduled in my contract.

I will try harder to achieve my goals. I am  determined to do so.

Next week, we will change to daylight savings time. It is scheduled.

Our team will win the championship!  We intend to do it.

Our team will win the championship!  We are by far the best team in the league.

He won't help us!   He intends NOT to help us. (refusal)

He won't visit us.  We don't expect it. It is not scheduled.

intent
 

Calendar

as a matter of course – due to schedule or unplanned life events (passive), not due to volition or will (active)

 

 

Past Intent
WOULD – REFUSAL WOULD HAVE – FAILURE / EXPECTATION LOST / EXCUSE

Use would to indicate that someone refused to do something (negative only – the opposite of intent).  Would is not used for intent (volition) in a postitive past tense sentence.

Use would have to indicate a failed plan, a disappointment, or an excuse (failed intent).

Last month, my boss wouldn't give me a raise though I asked. (refusal)

I would have gotten a raise, but I didn't do well enough. (failure)

He would promise me a raise.  (Intent is not expressed in the past tense.)

I would have gotten a raise, but our profits went down. (expectation lost)

When pressed, I wouldn't give in. (refusal)

I would have gotten my work done, but I didn't have enough time.   (excuse)

refuse raise business is down

 

Related pages: Would  ( preference, request, habit, excuse) |  Would vs Used to (habits)

 

 

 

 

 

Sentence Forms

Word Order

 

 

  AUXILIARY VERB SUBJECT AUXILIARY VERB VERB BASE INFINITIVE PHRASE TAG CLAUSE

STATEMENT

intent

 

 

 

They    

 

will 

 

return.

 

 

 

 

scheduled

 

They  

are 

returning. 

 

 

intent / scheduled

 

They  

are 

going  

to return.

 

QUESTION

intent

 

Will 

 

they    

 

 

 

return.

 

 

 

 

scheduled

Are 

they    

 

returning. 

 

 

intent / scheduled

Are 

they    

 

going  

to return.

 

TAG QUESTION

intent

 

 

 

They    

 

will 

 

return,

 

 

 

won't they?

scheduled

 

They  

are 

returning,

 

aren't they?

intent / scheduled

 

They  

are 

going  

to return,

aren't they?

NEGATIVE

intent

 

 

 

They    

 

won't

 

return.

 

 

 

 

scheduled

 

They  

aren't

returning. 

 

 

intent / scheduled

 

They  

aren't

going  

to return.

 

W / ADVERB

intent

 

 

 

They    

 

will finally

 

return.

 

 

 

 

scheduled

 

They  

are also

returning. 

 

 

intent / scheduled

 

They  

are really

going  

to return.


 

A tag question can also occur with a negative main sentence and a postive final question: They won't return, will they?   Related page: And so / too   

 

 

 

 

Practice

Identifying Meanings of Future Modals

 

 

 

What is the speaker expressing with the given modal choice?
  1. Select a response.  The correct answer will appear in the text box. 
  2. An incorrect answer will show an *asterisk.

 

# MODAL SENTENCE   YOUR RESPONSE CHECK ANSWER

1.

We are going to do our best.

 

2. We were going to do our best.

 

3. Jack would have helped us make a CD . . .

 

4. We are getting a new car in September.

 

5. My boss wouldn't give me more vacation time.