Uses of Will & Would

berlitz_orange_logo.JPG Uses of Will & Would

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WILL & WOULD

WILL can express insistence. In this context it is usually emphasized:

"John WILL talk about his work, even in the middle of a party."

John is someone who can't seem to talk about anything else--he insists on
talking about work. He constantly talks about it; it's hard to stop him.

WOULD can express the same idea about a past situation:

"It was a nice dog but it WOULD bark all the time."

or to emphasize that some (usually unfortunate) aspect of behavior
is typical of someone or something:

"We got a puncture and of course it WOULD happen when the spare
wheel was under a ton of baggage!"

WILL & WOULD are used (in the negative) when ordinary things don't work
as normal. There is no idea of the future, just a "refusal" to operate:

"The computer WON'T turn on. Is it plugged in?"
"I turned the key but the door still WOULDN'T open."
"I've asked Mary to work late but she WON'T do it."

In the affirmative WILL & WOULD can express capability or willingness:

"My new satellite TV aerial will pick up 40 foreign stations."
"Teresa WILL help with the housework but she won't do any cooking."

With "to wish" WOULD is used to tell someone you would like them to do
(or not do) something.

"I wish you would get to work on time."
"I wish he would ask me about it."


FUTURE PERFECT

Actions which will be complete at or before a specified time in the future:

"The secretary will type the letter before she leaves.
When she leaves she WILL HAVE already typed the letter."

The future perfect is often used with time expressions such as "by 10:00,"
"by the time I see you, " etc.:

"BY the time John retires he WILL HAVE been working for 46 years."
"Judy WILL HAVE opened her own medical practice BY 1999."
"Call me tomorrow. I WILL HAVE heard from Jim BY then."

This form is often also used to express expectation in the present:

"John left an hour ago and it's not far.
I'm sure he WILL HAVE arrived by now."


CONDITIONAL and PAST CONDITIONAL

"I WOULD do it now if I had time." (but I don't)
"I WOULD have done it then if I had had time." (but I didn't)