Will vs. Would
Main DifferenceThe main difference between Will and Would is that Will is used to describing the specific future actions, whereas Would is used to state a thing that of future which is no longer in the future now.
Difference Between Will and Would
Will vs. Would
Will holds the meaning of causing something to happen through force of desire, whereas Would direct an action going to happen under certain conditions.
Will vs. Would
Will explains the willingness of people to do something; in contrast, Would explain the things about the past, our imaginations, hypotheses, etc.
Will vs. Would
Will can be a modal auxiliary verb in many situations; on the other hand, Would be a conditional verb.
Will vs. Would
Will has the role in the first conditional statement; on the contrary, Would have its role in second and third conditional statements.
Will vs. Would
Will is known as the present tense form of would, on the contrary, Would is known to be the past tense form of will.
Will vs. Would
Will talks about the quick decisions, promises, offers and, predictions; on the other side, Would is used when making invitations, requests, asking for permission, preferences, and making arrangements.
Will vs. Would
Will is describing a thing of future which is no longer present in the future now, while the modal verb Would talk about an action that happened in the future but is not present in the future at the time of describing it.
Willverb
To wish, desire (something).
Do what you will.Wouldverb
(heading) As a past-tense form of will.
Willverb
To wish or desire (that something happen); to intend (that).
Wouldverb
(obsolete) Wished, desired (something).
Willverb
(auxiliary) To habitually do (a given action).
Wouldverb
(archaic) Wanted to ( + bare infinitive).
Willverb
(auxiliary) To choose to (do something), used to express intention but without any temporal connotations (+ bare infinitive).
Wouldverb
Used to; was or were habitually accustomed to ( + bare infinitive); indicating an action in the past that happened repeatedly or commonly.
Willverb
(auxiliary) Used to express the future tense, sometimes with some implication of volition when used in the first person. Compare shall.
Wouldverb
Used with bare infinitive to form the "anterior future", indicating a futurity relative to a past time.
Willverb
(auxiliary) To be able to, to have the capacity to.
Unfortunately, only one of these gloves will actually fit over my hand.Wouldverb
(archaic) Used with ellipsis of the infinitive verb, or postponement to a relative clause, in various senses.
Willverb
(archaic) To wish, desire.
Wouldverb
Was determined to; loosely, could naturally have been expected to (given the tendencies of someone's character etc.).
Willverb
To instruct (that something be done) in one's will.
Wouldverb
(heading) As a modal verb, the subjunctive of will.
Willverb
(transitive) To try to make (something) happen by using one's will (intention).
All the fans were willing their team to win the game.Wouldverb
Used to give a conditional or potential "softening" to the present; might, might wish.
Willverb
(transitive) To bequeath (something) to someone in one's will (legal document).
He willed his stamp collection to the local museum.Wouldverb
Used as the auxiliary of the simple conditional modality (with a bare infinitive); indicating an action or state that is conditional on another.
Willnoun
One's independent faculty of choice; the ability to be able to exercise one's choice or intention.
Of course, man's will is often regulated by his reason.Wouldverb
Might wish ( + verb in past subjunctive); often used in the first person (with or without that) in the sense of "if only".
Willnoun
One's intention or decision; someone's orders or commands.
Eventually I submitted to my parents' will.Wouldverb
Used to impart a sense of hesitancy or uncertainty to the present; might be inclined to. Now sometimes colloquially with ironic effect.
Willnoun
The act of choosing to do something; a person’s conscious intent or volition.
Most creatures have a will to live.Wouldverb
Used interrogatively to express a polite request; are (you) willing to …?
Would you pass the salt, please?Willnoun
A formal declaration of one's intent concerning the disposal of one's property and holdings after death; the legal document stating such wishes.
Wouldverb
Might desire; wish (something).
Willnoun
(archaic) That which is desired; one's wish.
Wouldnoun
Something that would happen, or would be the case, under different circumstances; a potentiality.
Willnoun
(archaic) Desire, longing. (Now generally merged with later senses.)
He felt a great will to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.Willnoun
the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention;
the exercise of their volition we construe as revoltWillnoun
a fixed and persistent intent or purpose;
where there's a will there's a wayWillnoun
a legal document declaring a person's wishes regarding the disposal of their property when they die
Willverb
decree or ordain;
God wills our existenceWillverb
have in mind;
I will take the exam tomorrowWillverb
determine by choice;
This action was willed and intendedWillverb
leave or give by will after one's death;
My aunt bequeathed me all her jewelryMy grandfather left me his entire estateComparison Chart
| Will | Would |
| Will is an auxiliary modal verb describing definite future actions | Would is an auxiliary modal verb/conditional verb describing a thing that of future which is no longer in the future now |
| Type of Tense | |
| Present tense | Past tense |
| Talks About | |
| Quick decisions, promises, offers and, predictions | Requests, asking for permission, preferences, making arrangements, invitations |
| Conditional Statement | |
| First conditional statements | Second, third conditional statements |
| Explains | |
| A thing of future which is no longer present in the future now | An action that happened in the future but is not present in the future at the time of describing it |
Will vs. Would
Will is an auxiliary modal verb describing specific future actions; on the other hand, Would is an auxiliary modal verb describing a thing that of future which is no longer in the future now. Will is the present tense form of would; on the other side, Would is known to be the past tense form of will. Will talks about quick decisions, promises, offers, and predictions, whereas Would is used when making invitations, requests, asking for permission, preferences, and making arrangements.
Will is an auxiliary verb that explains the willingness of people to do something. It is used to make offers, promises, and requests. It is implied to express the beliefs regarding the present or future. On the contrary, Would explain the things about the past, our imaginations, hypotheses, etc. It used to add politeness in your statement.
Will holds the meaning of causing something to happen through force of desire. It can be a modal auxiliary verb in many situations. Would direct an action going to happen under certain conditions. It can be a conditional verb. The use of Will is seen in the first conditional statement, whereasWould has its role in second and third conditional statements.
What is Will?
Will can also be used as a noun with varying meanings. But mainly, it functions as a verb. Will is widely known as a modal auxiliary verb that talks about an action expected to take place in the future. It functions to modify many verbs in their future tenses. Will is a modal verb used in the definite statements. Moreover, it explains the willingness of people to do something. It is used to make offers, promises, and requests.
‘Will’ is implied to express the beliefs regarding the present or future. It is used in a sentence where there is a certainty of future action to take place. For example: ‘I will go to the party tonight.’ The use of will is seen in the first conditional statement. It is used for cause and effect, or in situations that cannot be changed, e.g., ‘If you miss the train, you will not be attending the meeting’ ‘If you don’t take precautionary measures, you will be affected by the disease.
Examples
- I will go to the morning walk instead of taking breakfast. (Instant decision)
- I will buy you a present for your first position. (Promise)
- I will press your clothes after having my work done (Offers)
- I will bet she bought this coat from the sale. (Predictions)
- We will have to study to get good grades. (Belief)
What is Would?
Would is mainly known as a modal verb. It is an auxiliary modal verb describing a thing that of the future at the time of action but is not present in the future at the time of describing it. It explains the things about the past. Moreover, it expresses our imaginations and hypotheses, etc. Would is used mostly in formal speech because it sounds polite and adds politeness in your statement.
Would have its role in second and third conditional statements. These statements are about imaginary or unlikely situations to express the things that took place in the past. An example of the second conditional statement is ‘If I knew there was a party, I would attend it.’ Similarly, the third conditional statement is, ‘If I had known about your sickness earlier, I would have visited you.’ Would is used in different situations. These situations include making invitations, requests, asking for permission, preferences, and making arrangements.
Examples
- Would you like to come to my house tomorrow? (Invitation)
- Would you mind posting my letter on your way? (Request)
- Would I be able to take leave for three days? (Asking permission)
- Would you like ice-cream or custard? I would prefer to eat custard.’ (Talking about preferences)
- Would Saturday evening suit you?’ or ‘Sunday morning would suit me.’ (Making arrangements)
ConclusionWill and Would are the two different modal verbs. Both these modal verbs are different based on their usage. Will is a present form, Whereas would is used as a past expression.
