Module 4: Mastering Modal Verbs - Lesson 4.14: Modal Verb of Willingness and Requests: WILL and WOULD

Lesson 4.14: Modal Verb of Willingness and Requests - WILL and WOULD

In this lesson, we will explore the modal verbs WILL and WOULD, focusing on their use to express willingness, make requests, and offer to do things. These modals are crucial for expressing your intentions, making polite offers, and asking others to do things in English. While "will" has primary functions related to the future tense, and "would" to conditionals, both play important roles in expressing willingness and politeness.

WILL and WOULD - Expressing Willingness and Requests

Both WILL and WOULD are used to express willingness and to make requests, but they differ in formality and nuance:

WILL (Willingness & Offers): Used to express present willingness to do something. Also used to make offers to do things for others. Can be used for requests, but less polite.
WOULD (Polite Requests & Willingness): Primarily used to make polite requests. Can also express willingness, especially in conditional sentences or when talking about hypothetical situations, and past willingness. More polite and tentative than "will" for requests.

The choice between "will" and "would" often depends on the level of politeness required and whether you are expressing willingness or making a request.

WILL - Expressing Willingness and Offers

WILL (often contracted to 'LL) is used to express present willingness to do something. It indicates that you are ready and agreeable to perform an action now or in the near future. It is also used to make offers to do things for other people.

Key Uses of WILL (Willingness & Offers):

Expressing Present Willingness: To state that you are willing and ready to do something right now or in the immediate future, based on your current intention.
Making Offers to Do Things: To offer to help someone or do something for them, showing your willingness to assist.
Making Promises (Related to Willingness): "Will" can also express promises, which are a form of future willingness, but in this lesson, we focus on present willingness and offers.

Forming Sentences with WILL (Willingness & Offers):

The structure is:

Expressing Willingness: Subject + will / 'll + Base Verb (e.g., I will help you, She 'll do it)
Making Offers: I/We + will / 'll + Base Verb...? or Will + I/We + Base Verb...? (Question form can also be used for offers, especially with "Shall I/we...?" in British English - less common in American English)

Examples of WILL (Willingness & Offers) in Use:

Expressing Present Willingness:
- "I will help you with your luggage." / "I'll help you..." (Expressing willingness to assist someone now)
- "She will do her best to finish the project on time." / "She'll do her best..." (Expressing her willingness to try hard)
- "We will come to the meeting." / "We'll come..." (Expressing willingness to attend)
- "He will carry that for you." / "He'll carry that..." (Expressing his willingness to assist)
- "Don't worry, I will sort it out." / "I'll sort it out." (Reassuring someone by expressing willingness to handle a problem)
Making Offers to Do Things:
- "I'll open the window, is it too hot in here?" (Offering to open window - checking if help is needed)
- "Will I get you a drink?" (Offering to get a drink - making a polite offer)
- "We'll help you move the furniture." (Offering help with moving - volunteering assistance)
- "Shall I carry that bag for you?" (Offer of help - using "Shall I" - more British English for offers)
- "I'll do the washing up." (Offering to do a chore - volunteering to perform a task)

Negative and Question Forms of WILL (Willingness & Offers):

For negative and question forms with "will":

Negative (Refusal of Willingness - WILL NOT / WON'T): Subject + will not / won't + Base Verb (e.g., I will not go, She won't help) - Contraction: *won't* is very common. *Will not* is slightly more formal or emphatic. "Will not/won't" expresses refusal or lack of willingness.
Question (Asking about Willingness/Making Requests - Less Polite with "Will you...?"): Will + Subject + Base Verb? (e.g., Will you help me? Will she come?) - "Will you...?" questions can be used for requests, but are often considered less polite or more direct than using "Would you...?" for requests. "Will" questions for willingness are more direct inquiries.

Examples of Negative and Question Forms of WILL (Willingness & Offers - and alternatives for requests):

Refusal of Willingness (using WILL NOT / WON'T): "I will not do that." / "I won't do that." (Expressing refusal - stating unwillingness to perform an action)
"She will not help us." / "She won't help us." (Expressing her refusal to assist)
"They will not agree to the proposal." / "They won't agree..." (Expressing their refusal to consent)
Question (Direct Request/Inquiry about Willingness - "Will you...?"): "Will you help me with this?" (Direct request - can sound demanding if not careful with tone) - Less polite for general requests.
"Will she be there?" (Question about her willingness/intention to be present - inquiring about her plans).
"Will they lend us the money?" (Question about their willingness to lend - checking their intention).
Polite Request Alternative (using WOULD YOU...?): "Would you help me with this, please?" (Polite request - softer and more courteous than "Will you help me?") - *Preferred for polite requests.*
More Polite Request Alternative (using COULD YOU...?): "Could you help me with this, please?" (Even more polite request - very common for making requests).

WOULD - Polite Requests and Conditional Willingness

WOULD (often contracted to 'D) is primarily used to make polite requests. It is also used to express conditional willingness (willingness in hypothetical situations) and past willingness. "Would" is generally considered more polite and tentative than "will" for requests.

Key Uses of WOULD (Polite Requests & Willingness):

Making Polite Requests: To ask someone to do something in a polite and courteous way. "Would you...?" is a very common and standard form for polite requests in English.
Expressing Conditional Willingness (in Conditional Sentences): To talk about willingness in hypothetical or conditional situations, often in "if" clauses (e.g., "If I had time, I would help").
Past Willingness (Narrating Past Events): "Would" can be used to describe willingness in the past when narrating stories or past events (e.g., "She said she would help").

Forming Sentences with WOULD (Polite Requests & Willingness):

The structure is:

Making Polite Requests: Would + you + Base Verb...? (e.g., Would you help me?)
Conditional Willingness: Subject + would / 'd + Base Verb (often in "if" clauses) (e.g., I would help if I could)
Past Willingness: Subject + would + Base Verb (in past narratives) (e.g., He said he would come)

Examples of WOULD (Polite Requests & Willingness) in Use:

Making Polite Requests:
- "Would you help me with this heavy box, please?" (Polite request for assistance)
- "Would you mind opening the window?" (Very polite request - softening the request further with "mind")
- "Would you like a cup of tea?" (Polite offer - often using "Would you like...?" for offers) - Offer is a form of asking about willingness to receive something.
- "Would you be able to send me the information?" (Very polite and slightly formal request - using "be able to" to soften request)
- "Would you please close the door?" (Polite request using "please" for added politeness)
Conditional Willingness (in Conditional Sentences):
- "If I had more time, I would help you." (Willingness conditional on having more time - hypothetical situation)
- "She would lend you her car if you asked her nicely." (Willingness conditional on polite request - hypothetical situation)
- "They would come to the party if they weren't busy." (Willingness conditional on being free - hypothetical situation)
- "I would be happy to assist you if you need anything." (Conditional willingness expressed using "be happy to")
Past Willingness (Narrating Past Events):
- "He said he would come to the party." (Reporting his past willingness - in a narrative about the past)
- "She told me she would help me with my homework." (Reporting her past willingness - in a past narrative)
- "They promised they would pay us back next week." (Reporting their past promise/willingness - in a past narrative)
- "I knew he would understand." (Describing past expectation of willingness to understand - in a past narrative)

Negative and Question Forms of WOULD (Polite Requests & Willingness):

For negative and question forms with "would":

Negative (Refusal/Unwillingness - WOULD NOT / WOULDN'T): Subject + would not / wouldn't + Base Verb (e.g., I would not go, She wouldn't help) - Contraction: *wouldn't* is very common. *Would not* is slightly more formal or emphatic. "Would not/wouldn't" expresses refusal, unwillingness, or hypothetical unwillingness.
Question (Polite Requests - WOULD YOU...?): Would + you + Base Verb? (e.g., Would you help me? Would you mind...?) - "Would you...?" questions are the primary way to make polite requests. Questions about conditional willingness might use "would" in the main clause of conditional sentences (e.g., "Would you help if I asked?").

Examples of Negative and Question Forms of WOULD (Polite Requests & Willingness - and alternatives):