English is very multifaceted. Of course, he is not as rich and intricate as Russian, however, and he has his own difficulties and questions that need to be answered. The difference between will and would - what is it?
Introduction
To understand what the words will and would be in English in general, what they eat and how to use it correctly, you need to go from the very sources and understand this topic gradually and slowly.
First, we need to start with what would be the form of the verb will, but in the past tense. 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 literally translates from English as "will", that is, in this embodiment, 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 this into account.)
2. Also will be used much more in large cases as a service part of speech for the formation of future tense. Example:
- I will accomplish all my homework, but first - coffee. (I will do all my homework, but coffee first.)
When do we use "will"?
There are several cases when we use will:
- When we talk 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.
- Suggestion: Maybe I will join you? “Maybe I will join you?”
- Request: Will you help me please? “ Can you help me?”
- Order: You will answer all my questions immediately. “You will answer all my questions right away.”
- Promise: I promise, I will do with you wherever you want. “I promise I will go with you wherever you want.”
2. With will, we designate a 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. Persistence, perseverance, resistance - He won't tell me the story! “He will not tell me a story!”
I can't come out! The door won't open. - I can't go out! The door does not 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"?
Everything is simple here. Would is a will form, but in the past tense.
When do we use "would"?
Usually we would use if:
The main differences between will and would
The first and most significant difference will / would be the fact that:
1. Both will and would are auxiliary verbs that are used at different times: will we use in Future Indefinite. For instance:
- 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'm not going to visit my grandmother today, I will go to her two days after passing all the exams.)
- Look! This is a tiger! My mother and I will go to the zoo tomorrow and I will be able to see more wild animals. (Look, this is a tiger! Mom and I will go to the zoo tomorrow and I can see more wild animals.)
We would use it when we speak in time Future Indefinite in the Past Tense (future uncertain in the past). For instance:
- Anastasia was woundering if I'd go to the party with her. (Anastasia wondered 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 that he will help us but for a fee.)
- Alex told me thay his sister would arrive in several days. (Alex told me that his sister will arrive in a few days.)
2. The next difference between will and would be the use of both in conditional sentences of different types. As mentioned earlier, will we use when the first type of conditional mood is applied (the 1st Conditional):
- If it won't be rainy, we will go with our dogs to the park. “If it hadn't rained, we would have gone with the dogs to the park.”
- If I'm invited, I will go to your birthday party. - If I were invited, I would go to a party on the occasion of her birthday.
- If you let me come in, I will explain you everything! “If you let me in, I would explain everything to you.”
3. Do not forget that would would replace will in indirect speech:
- She wondered, if I'd be in the library on Friday. “She asked if I would 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 would not approve of it.
- 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 would be with the help of would we express the particle “would” in sentences of the type “conditionals”. For instance:
- 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, today I wouldn’t feel fat.”
- 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 have wished you good luck earlier.”
- If my father had not married for the second time, we'd have had much better relationships. - If my father had not married a second time, our relationship with him would have been much better.
5. If you do not want to seem ignorant, then when expressing a request, use would instead of will, it will be much better perceived by ear. 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 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 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 words - the subjects of our discussions today. One such “affected” 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.
The want / will difference is easy to understand. Want is a verb of desire and aspiration, literally translated means "want." In this sense, will, as you remember, also means “desire, aspiration”, however, this is part of the speech noun. Want is a verb, will is a noun. All clear?
Another confusion arises when using could and would, which are modal verbs. The difference could / would also not be too convoluted. Could is a form of the verb "can", but in the past tense. Literally translated as "be able to." And would be actually a bit 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 that we should 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 in counseling, exhortation, and threat, it may have the translation "it would be better for us / me / you, etc.":
- You had better stop smoking. “You better quit smoking.”
Would rather express preference, desire. It also translates 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 better do this task tomorrow.”
Conclusion
We really want to believe that there will be as little confusion on your path to learning English as possible. Learn with pleasure, look for material, find out incomprehensible questions for you and remember: knowledge is power!