Page 271 - Basic English Usage

273 366

Willingness and intentions
We can use will (but not shalf) to say that we are willing to do something,
or to offer to do something.
‘Can somebody help me?’ ‘| will.’ ‘There's the doorbell.’ ‘I'll go.’
Will can express a firm intention, a promise or a threat.
| really will stop smoking. — {it kill her for this.
We can use won'tto talk about refusal.
She won’t open the door.
‘Give me a kiss.’ ‘No, | won't.’
The car won't start.
We can use wouldn't for a past refusal.
The car wouldn’t start. § She wouldn’t open the door.
Requests and orders

We use will you to tell people what to do.
Will you send me the bill, please? ~— Will you come this way?
Would you is ‘softer’, more polite.
Would you send me the bill, please? Would you come this way?
Will you have ... ? can be used for offers.
Will you have some more potatoes? What will you have to drink?
Habits and characteristics
We can use wil/to talk about habits and characteristic (typical)
behaviour.
She'll sit talking to herself for hours.
Would is used for the past.
On Saturdays, when | was a child, we would all get up early and go
fishing.

willand want

Don't confuse will and want. Willis ‘interpersonal’ — we use it when our
wishes affect other people: when we promise, offer, request etc. Want
simply describes our wishes. Compare:
Will you open the window? (an order)
Do you want to open the window? (a question about somebody's
wishes).
She won't tell anybody. (= She refuses to ...)
She doesn't want to tell anybody. (= She prefers notto ...)
For more information about wou/d, see 369.
For information about shall, see 292.