Will / would

“Will” is hardly a purely modal verb. It generally combines its modal meaning with the function of an auxiliary expressing futurity.

“Would” was originally the Past Tense of “will” in the same way as “should” was the Past Tense of “shall”. But while the latter has acquired new shades of meaning, “would” has preserved those of “will”.

Thus it expresses:

Meaning	Forms of the modal verb	Other ways to express the same meaning	Sentence patterns
Volition (willingness, readiness, intention, determination, refusal to perform an action – in statements and negatives) – is used speaking about living beings and things alike.	I will / would I won’t / wouldn’t	I intend… I’m willing… We wish … We want… I’m determined; Smb insists on … Smb keeps on … Smb refuses … Smb continues…	I won’t do it. She wouldn’t take the medicine. The pen won’t write. The car won’t start.
Requests (polite requests, polite invitations and suggestions – in questions)	Will do Would do (sounds more polite)	Could you give me … May I ask you to do …	Will you pass me the salt? Would you come to tea this afternoon? Would you like another cup of tea?
A repeated action in the past (in statements)	Would – refers only to actions	Used to – refers to both states and actions	He would fish for hours without catching anything.
Order	You will do	_	You will do it at once.
Prediction of a future action	Smb will do Smth will happen	_	His latest book will be out next month. I think it will rain tomorrow.
Certainty about the present and past (in statements and negatives)	Present – will (won’t) do / would (wouldn’t) do Past – will (won’t) have done / would (wouldn’t) have done	I’m sure I believe I guess	Leave the meat in the oven; it won’t be cooked yet. This would be the place she meant. That would have been the right way.

Exercises

Exercise 1

Analyze the form of the modal verb. Say in which meaning it is used. Translate the sentences into Ukrainian.

1. She would sit there for hours waiting for the telephone to ring.

2. Now and again a dog would bark.

3. You will have heard that I’m leaving by the end of the month.

4. The animals wouldn’t stir. They were too tired to move.

5. I won’t leave you, I promise.

6. Will you tell me why you are so certain?

7. I said, “Would you lend me your car?”

8. No matter what time of day I went to the store, I would find him sitting there on the steps.

9. Will you do me a favour and meet her at the station?

10. Would you drop in two days? I’m sure we will have a good selection of overcoats then.

11. That would be about four years ago.

12. “Will you give me my bill?” I asked the clerk.

13. You will permit me to examine the papers.

14. Please, will you tell me the time?

15. That will have been someone she knows.

16. “You’ve got a letter from Canada”. “It’ll be from my aunt Freda”.

17. Leave the meat in the oven. It won’t be cooked yet.

Exercise 2

Comment on the meaning of the verb will. Translate the sentences into Ukrainian.

1. I will be at the Bridge at 9 o’clock.

2. I will give you your tea.

3. Will you all come along?

4. Will you have some more sweets?

5. If you will only hold together and say the same thing he must give way.

6. If you will let us we’ll come back when supper’s over.

7. You can let Mr. Gibson know that I will see you again.

8. You have only to ask me and I will show you the rooms.

9. I won’t be made a slave to that child!

10. His hair won’t stick down though it looks as though he had plastered everything he can think of on it.

11. It’s bloody cold and this blasted experiment won’t go.

12. I’d like you to do something for me, if you will.

Exercise 3

The first time Mr. and Mrs. Wilson went abroad, they were on their honeymoon – lots of things went wrong. They still laugh about it, though at the time it wasn’t so funny! Complete Mr. Wilson’s story with won’t or wouldn’t and the following verbs: accept / let / light / move / start / stay / stop. The first sentence has been already done as the example.

“We were going to leave at 6 a.m. on the day after our wedding to get the 9 o’clock ferry from Dover to France…” Then the first thing went wrong – the car wouldn’t start! Dad got quite angry, and kept shouting: “Why ____it____?” In the end he had to call a garage, and the mechanic wanted 30 pounds. We’d changed all our money into foreign currency, and in those days people ____ normally ____ cheques from someone they didn’t know. “What shall I do?” Dad cried. “He ____ ____ a cheque!” At last the mechanic agreed, and we just got to Dover in time for the boat. “And why ____ the car _____?” asked Stephen. “Your dad had forgotten to buy petrol”, Mrs. Wilson replied. “Anyway, we got a campsite in France and tried to put up our tent, but it was so windy that it _____up. We ended up sleeping in the car. Next morning, we found that all our cooking things were wet. “The stove ____ ____!” your Dad kept saying. So, we had cold breakfast! But the funniest thing was a few days later, when we were in the mountains. There was a flock of sheep in the road, and they ____ ____ us pass. “Sheep ____ ____ unless you make a loud noise!” Dad said, and he pressed the horn. But the horn got stuck, and it ____ ____ ! It was terribly embarrassing, but at least the sheep got out of our way!”

Exercise 4

Instead of the words given in brackets use will / would to denote a habitual or recurrent action.

Model: He (often) sits in the garden basking in the warm sunshine. – He will sit in the garden …

1. She (sometimes) spends the whole evening listening to music.

2. They (occasionally) leave work earlier to catch an early train.

3. He (frequently) fishes for hours without catching anything.

4. They (sometimes) look at each other without saying a word.

5. She (usually) listens to him with breathless attention.

6. They (often) have dinner in the garden in summer.

7. He (usually) goes shopping alone.

8. They (usually) spend hours in the room watching TV.

Exercise 5

Use used to + Infinitive for things that happened regularly in the past or for things and states that were true but are not true now; would + Infinitive to talk about repeated actions in the past; be used to + Gerund to say that something is familiar or usual.

1. Complete the sentences with would or used to. Where either form is possible, use them both. Where there is a word in brackets, put it in the correct position.

1. I ____ have lots of free time before I started working here.

2. In the long summer holidays, we ____ go out somewhere with a picnic every day.

3. When I was a newly-trained teacher I ____ work till late every night preparing lessons.

4. They ____ be happy together but they are not now.

5. When they come to London, they ____ (never) travel anywhere on the tube.

6. When I had a car, I ____ drive everywhere, but now I’m much fitter because I always walk or cycle.

7. During my last year at university, I ____ go to the library to start work at 9 o’clock every morning.

8. When we shared a flat together, we ____ (often) stat up talking late into the night.

2. Sharon, Jerry, Marion and Joe are talking about what they used to be like a few years ago. Try to guess who is speaking. Make your deduction using can, may, must or will. Compare it with your fellow-student.

“I used to be very quiet. I’m an only child, so I’m used to being alone. I would spend hours in my room, reading and day-dreaming. I didn’t use to go out much and I never used to wear fashionable clothes or make-up. Things have changed. Look at me now!”

“At fifteen I used to be a rebel and I always wore an old T-shirt and ripped jeans. I would go to pop concerts every week. I was crazy about music. I used to walk around all day carrying a radio. I was used to being told off at school because I didn’t do enough work.”

“My friends and I used to dress all in black. At the time we thought it was great. We would go round the clothes stores buying weird outfits and hats. My hair used to be green or pink – or both. We were used to people staring at us, but we didn’t use to care about what others thought.”

Who doesn’t say anything?

3. Speak about yourselves. Say what you used to do, would do or were used to doing in the past. Maybe, you had some unusual habits.

Exercise 6

Replace the words in italics by will or would + present infinitive. If the statements appear to indicate the speaker’s annoyance, underline the modal verb to indicate that it is stressed.

1. My children love watching television. They sit for hours without saying a word.

2. He’s very absent-minded. He often buys things and then leaves the shop without paying.

3. My wife persistently leaves things where other people can fall over them!

4. When we lived in the north, the water pipes used to freeze every winter, and we had to call in a plumber.

5. The chairman’s main fault was that he persistently interrupted the speakers before they had finished.

6. I tried to refuse his invitation, but he repeatedly insisted on my coming.

7. Why do you persist in being so difficult?

8. My headmaster had great authority. Whenever he spoke, everyone used to listen attentively.

9. No wonder the house is cold! You always go out and leave the doors open!

10. In the 19^th century, people used to go to church on Sunday as a matter of course.

Exercise 7

Complete each short dialogue, using will together with one of the verbs in the list. The negative form will be needed in some cases.

The list of verbs: seat, bear, do, fit, hold, reach, suit, work.

1. “Is your car very fast?” “Oh, yes! It ____ over 180 km an hour.”

2. “Is that jug big enough?” “Oh, yes! It ____ at least a gallon.”

3. “What’s wrong with that machine?” “I don’t know. It simply ____.”

4. “Why haven’t you open the door?” “This key ____ the lock.”

5. “How big is the new conference centre?” “Oh! It ____ up to 5,000 people.”

6. “Is that ladder long enough?” “Oh, yes! It ____ up to the roof.”

7. “Shall we say 7.30?” “Yes, that time ____me perfectly.”

8. “Is it safe to walk on the ice?” “Oh, yes! It ____ your weight easily.”

Exercise 8

Explain the meaning lies behind the use of will (‘ll) in the following sentences. Translate them into Ukrainian.

1. It’s no good phoning him at his office. He will be on his way home now.

2. Why will you ask such stupid questions?

3. Will you clear away the dinner things?

4. If you’ll clear away the dinner things, I’ll make the coffee.

5. The luggage boot will never take all those cases!

6. You’ll do as you’re told.

7. The meeting will begin at 6.30.

8. He can be quite obstinate, but he’ll generally see sense in the end.

9. They will celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary next year.

10. Don’t worry! I’ll let you know tomorrow, without fail.

11. Ah! Here we are! This will be the restaurant they recommended to us.

12. This table is too small for a dinner party. It’ll only seat four in comfort.

Exercise 9

Fill in the appropriate forms of the past tense, used to, will or would. Alternatives are possible.

WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE!

The thing I remembered most about my childhood was my visits to my aunt Charlotte in her lovely country house. She (be) ____a remarkable woman by any standard. She (be) ____ really skilled at water-diving and she (find) ____water on the most unpromising bits of land. The farmers (love) ____ her, especially as she (never accept) ____ money for water-diving. “Water (always find) ____its own level”, she (say) ____”and I know exactly where that level is. Water-diving is a gift from God and you don’t accept payment for that.” She had a gift for noticing changes in the weather, too. ”It’s going to rain soon ,” she (say) ___, “I can feel it in my bones,” and she (always be) ____ right in her later years, she developed a bad back and (often visit) ____ her osteopath. She (never tire) ____ of telling us that her osteopath (say) ____, as he massaged her painful back, “It’s going to rain, Charlotte. I can feel it in your bones!”

Exercise 10

Read the following extract. Choose the correct forms of the modal verbs: will, may, must. Say why Francis didn’t want to go to the party.

The fifth of January, Peter thought again, his mind drifting from the image of cakes to the prizes which … be won. Egg-and-spoon races, spearing apples in basins of water, blind man’s buff.

“I don’t want to go,” Francis said suddenly.

“What’s the matter?” Peter asked. “Is it a bad cold?”

“It will be a bad cold if I go to the party. Perhaps I shall die.”

“Then you … not go,” Peter said with the decision.

It was true that Francis felt ill, a sick empty sensation in his stomach and a rapidly beating heart, but he knew that the course was only fear, fear of the party, fear of being made to hide by himself in the dark, without Peter and with no light.

“I… not go to Mrs. Henner-Falcon’s party. I swear on the Bible I … not.”

Now surely all would be well, he thought. God wouldn’t allow him to break so solemn an oath. He would show him a way. Anything … happen. He … cut himself or break his leg or really catch a bad cold. (From The End of the Party by G. Greene)

Exercise 11

Read the article and put the correct expressions of obligation and permission into the gaps. Discuss the text.

Cannot ride / will not marry / will dress / shall sweep / may not visit / may not travel / must be / must be at home / should command / can only keep

At the beginning of the 20^th century female teaches had a very restricted life. There was a set of “golden rules” that they had to abide by or risk instant dismissal. The rules were there to make sure teachers commanded authority and respect, but for women it meant sacrificing a lot of personal freedom. Nowadays it seems quite incredible that such strict rules should be enforced on female teaching staff.

1. You ____ during the term of your contract.

2. You ____ company with other women.

3. You ____ authority and respect from your pupils at all times.

4. You ____ between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless attending a school function.

5. You ____ ice-cream parlours at any time.

6. You ____ in a carriage or automobile with any man unless he is your father or brother.

7. You ____ the school-room floor at least once daily.

8. You ____ in plain colours of grey or black and your dress ____ no more than 1 inch above the ankles.

9. You ____ beyond the city limits without the permission of the chairman of the board of school governors.

Exercise 12

Memorize the following proverbs and use them in situations of your own. Find their Ukrainian equivalents.

1. A drowning man will catch at a straw.

2. None is so blind as those who won’t see.

3. The cat would eat wish and would not wet her feet.

4. He that would eat the fruit must climb the tree.

Exercise 13

Translate into English.

1. Ти отримаєш велосипед на день народження, я в цьому впевнена.

2. Якщо ти запізнишся на роботу ще раз, тебе звільнять.

3. Колись ти пригадаєш мої слова, але вже буде пізно.

4. Усі пасажири мають відійти від краю платформи.

5. Щоб не трапилося, я тебе обов’язково знайду.

6. Після обіду він зазвичай дрімав у садку.

7. Він навіть і слухати мене не хоче.

8. Після вечері вони зазвичай грали в карти.

9. Він обов’язково зайде до вас перед обідом.

10. Він ніколи не відповідав на мої питання.

11. Тобі за все доведеться відповідати, стережися!

12. Ти ще почуєш моє ім’я.

13. Коли він мав поганий настрій, він відкривав томик Шекспіра.

14. Ти не перевіриш мій твір?

15. Ти більше не зробиш їй боляче, я обіцяю.

16. Ну що ж ти хочеш, хлопці завжди залишаються хлопцями.

17. Повторити речення ще раз?

18. Я зроблю все залежне від мене, не майте сумнівів.

19. Де поставити крісло?

20. У дитинстві бабуся розповідала мені казки перед тим як лягати спати.

21. Одного дня ти зустрінеш саме такого чоловіка.

22. Він завжди затримувався на роботі.

23. Вона проводила цілі дні на березі лісового озера.

24. Одного дня ми поїдемо з тобою в круїз по Середземному морю.

25. Якщо ви не сплатите за проїзд, з вас стягнуть штраф.