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. |
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 |
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) |
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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?
- Select a response. The correct answer will appear in the text box.
- An incorrect answer will show an *asterisk.