10 Important Differences Between ‘Will’ And ‘Would’.
Important Differences between ‘Will’ and ‘Would’: There are important differences between the words ‘will’ and ‘would’ though both words are closely related. Knowing when and how to use them is an important part of understanding and commanding the English language in general. In this article, we will enlighten you more on the important differences between ‘will’ and ‘would’ you should know.
The words will and would are verbs of the kind known as ‘modal verbs’. These types of verbs have little meaning of their own but in concert with other verbs, they give more weight and meaning. Instances of other modal verbs include: shall, could, ought, might, shall, etc.
10 Important Differences Between ‘Will’ And ‘Would’
1. Definitiveness: The word ‘will’ is endlessly definitive and carries a lot more weight than its complement. The word ‘will’ is used to bring certainty that future action would take place. An example is ‘I will go to church by noon’. Making use of the word ‘would’ does not communicate this definitiveness or certainty.
2. Belief: To show belief about the present, we would use the word ‘will’ and not ‘would’. An instance of this usage is in the sentence “he will be taking me home”. Such belief is not typically expressed using the word ‘would’.
3. To make promises: The verb ‘will’ is often used to make a promise or an offer unlike the word “would” which is rather used to make a suggestion. Look at the following sentences: ‘I will make you fishers of men’ and ‘I will give you a ring’.
4. Tenses: The verb ‘would is the past tense of ‘will’ and therefore is suitable for when one is trying to refer to a former time. For instance, ‘Father would take me around the park in her car when I was young.’ The speaker, speaking of a past time where the said events took place, used ‘would’ rather than ‘will’ to keep with the tense.
5. To display willingness: To display willingness, one may use the verb ‘will’ in such ways as ‘I know she will lend you the car if you asked.’ ‘My father will not let me play football when it’s lunch time’. But, to display willingness in a former time, we use “would ” instead of “will”. For example: ‘As a kid, my mom would let me go to the game house across the street’.
6. To show preference: In order to show preference it is often advisable to use the verb ‘would’ instead of ‘will’. An instance of this is in the following sentences: ‘I would rather have a pen instead of a soda’.
7. Politeness: In matters where a polite expression should be made, it is always preferred that one use the verb ‘would’ instead of ‘will’. Take a look at the following: ‘Would you pass me the book?’ versus ‘Will you pass me the book?’
8. Requests: While our requests can be made using both verbs, the difference in their uses is that ‘would’ is considered more polite than ‘will’. Look at the following example ‘Would you come ride with me?’
9. Advice: To offer advice, the verb ‘will’ is more generally used. This is due to the fact that the verb ‘will’ communicates intentions about the present or future and advice are commonly given to that effect. Instances include ‘I think she will help you if you ask her’.
10. Conditionals and theories: ‘Will’ is used in making a conditional, to say what a person or thing will happen in the present or future, e.g. ‘I will go home if she wins’. Would on the other hand is used to make a theory. For example, ‘It would be lovely to see the statue of liberty’.