The English language is very versatile. Of course, he is not as rich and intricate as Russian, however, he has his own difficulties and questions that need to be answered. What is the difference between will and would?
Introduction
To understand what the words will and would in general are in English, what they are eaten with and how to use them correctly, you need to go from the very beginning and understand this topic gradually and slowly.
First, we need to start with would being the past tense form of will. Accordingly, in order to understand the difference between will/would, we must first understand what the auxiliary verb "will" is.
What is "will"?
Will hides two meanings and two meanings.
Will is literally translated from English as "will", that is, in this version it is an independent part of speech. Example:
This was this last will, and you should take it into consideration. (This was his last will and you should take it into account.)
2. Also, will is used in much larger cases as an auxiliary part of speech for the formation of the future.time. Example:
I will accomplish all my homework, but first - coffee. (I'll do all my homework, but coffee first.)
When do we use "will"?
There are several cases where we use will:
When talking about an action that will happen in the future. In this case, will is used together with the infinitive
- Sudden decision: Someone is knocking the door. I'll open. - Somebody's knocking on the door. I will open.
- Sentence: Maybe I will join you? - Maybe I'll join you?
- Request: Will you help me please? - Will you help me?
- Order: You will answer all my questions immediately. - YOU will answer all my questions now.
- Promise: I promise, I will do with you wherever you want. - I promise I'll go with you wherever you want.
2. With will, we denote habit in the present tense: I will from time to time go for a walk to the park and spend there more than two hours. - From time to time I go for a walk in the park and spend more than two hours there.
3. Perseverance, perseverance, resistance - He won't tell me the story! - He won't tell me a story!
I can't come out! The door won't open. - I can't get out! The door won't open.
4. In conditional sentences of the first type (The 1st conditional). - If you spend some time on learning these chapters, you will be able to retell them. - If you spend a little time memorizing these chapters, you can retell them.
What is "would"?
It's simple here. Would is the form of will, but in the past tense.
When do we use "would"?
We usually use would if:
- Composing The 2nd Conditional: If I had enough time, I'd drive you home. - If I had more time, I would take you home.
- "Future in the Past": We really thought, that it'd be too complicated. - We really thought it would be too hard.
- Perseverance, unwillingness to act in Past Simple: He'd not tell them the truth. - He never told them the truth.
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Repetition of actions, habits in the past (almost like the construction used to, would only with dynamic verbs): He would run the same business several years ago. - He had a similar business a few years ago.
Main differences between will and would
The very first and most significant difference between will/would is the fact that:
1. Both will and would are auxiliary verbs that are used in different tenses: we use will in Future Indefinite (future indefinite). For example:
- Tomorrow we will gather together with my friends and share some breaking news. (Tomorrow we will gather with friends and share some news.)
- I am not going to visit my grandmother today, I will go to her in two days after passing all exams. (I am not going to visit my grandmother today, I will go to her two days after passing all the exams.)
- Look! Thisis a tiger! My mother and I will go to the zoo tomorrow and I will be able to see more wild animals. (Look, it's a tiger! Mom and I will go to the zoo tomorrow and I can see more wild animals.)
Would we use when we say Future Indefinite in the Past Tense (the future is indefinite in the past). For example:
- Anastasia was woundering if I'd go to the party with her. (Anastasia asked if I would go to the party with her.)
- My teacher said that he'd be able to help us but for some pay. (My teacher said he would help us but for some fee.)
- Alex told me thay his sister would arrive in several days. (Alex told me that his sister would be arriving in a few days.)
2. The next difference between will and would is the use of both in different types of conditionals. As mentioned earlier, we use will when the first type of conditional is applied (the 1st Conditional):
- If it won't be rainy, we will go with our dogs to the park. - If it wasn't raining, we would go to the park with the dogs.
- If I'm invited, I will go to your birthday party. - If I was invited, I would go to her birthday party.
- If you let me come in, I will explain you everything! - If you would let me in, I would explain everything to you.
3. Do not forget that would replaces will in indirect speech:
- She wondered if I'd be in the library on Friday. - She askedwill I be in the library on Friday.
- John said that he'd invite more friends, but his parents probably would not approve it. - John said that he would invite more friends, but his parents probably wouldn't approve.
- He answered that his best friend would come back in several days. - He replied that his best friend would be back in a few days.
4. It is with the help of would that we express the particle "would" in sentences like "conditionals". For example:
- If I had not eaten so much cakes yesterday, I'd not have felt fat today. - If I hadn't eaten so many cakes yesterday, I wouldn't feel fat today.
- If I had known the date of your final exam, I'd have wished you good luck earlier. - If I knew the date of your final exam, I would wish you good luck sooner.
- If my father had not married for the second time, we'd have had much better relationships. - If my father had not remarried, my relationship with him would have been much better.
5. If you don't want to sound ignorant, then use would instead of will when making a request, it will be much more audible. Example:
- Would you rather choose another piece of cake? - Could you choose another piece of the pie?
- Would you come today to repair my piano? - Could you come over today to fix my piano?
- It's so cold here! Would you please close the window? - It is so cold here! Can you please close the window?
A bit of confusion
Considering the difference between will/would, we must pay attention to the fact that very often these words are confused with other parts of speech, sometimes, well, completely unrelated to the words - the subjects of our discussion today. One of these "victims" is the verb want. It happens that people do not understand the difference between will and want. How and why is a mystery of nature, but let's figure it out anyway.
The want/will difference is easy to understand. Want is a verb of desire and aspiration, literally means "to want". In this sense, as you remember, will also means "desire, aspiration", but it is a noun part of speech. Want is a verb, will is a noun. Is everything clear?
Another confusion arises when using could and would, which are modal verbs. The could/would difference isn't too fancy either. Could is the form of the verb "can", but in the past tense. Literally translated as "to be able to". And would is actually a part of "would" or a more polite version of the verb "want" (in this case it is used together with "like" - "would like" - I would like a bottle of water. - I would like a bottle of water.)
And the last question we need to sort out is the had/would difference. In general, this is the difference between had better and would rather. The expression had better is used for advice, exhortation and threat, it can be translated "it would be better for us / me / you, etc.":
You had better stop smoking. - Youbetter quit smoking
Would rather expresses preference, desire. It is also translated as "it would be better", but at the same time it expresses the result of any thoughts:
I would rather accomplish this task tomorrow. - I'll do this task better tomorrow
Conclusion
We really want to believe that there will be as little confusion as possible on your English learning path. Learn with pleasure, look for material, find out questions you do not understand and remember: knowledge is power!
