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will

Forms​

Grammar

will + infinitive without to

  • It will be cold tomorrow.
  • Where will you spend the night?

Some British people use I shall and we shall instead of I/we will, with no difference of meaning in most situations. However, shall is now rare, and it is almost non-existent in American English. For situations where it is still used, (see here).

Contractions: I’ll, you’ll, etc; won’t /wəʊnt/

Use: giving information about the future; predicting​

Will + infinitive is used to give (or ask for) information about the future.

  • It’ll be spring soon.
  • Will all the family be at the wedding?
  • Karen will start work some time next week.
  • In another thirteen minutes the alarm will go off. This will close an electrical contact, causing the explosive to detonate.

We often use will in predictions of future events – to talk about what we think, guess or calculate will happen.

  • Tomorrow will be warm, with some cloud in the afternoon.
  • Who do you think will win on Saturday?
  • You’ll never finish that book.

Conditional use: You’ll fall if you’re not careful.​

Will is often used to express conditional ideas, when we say what will happen if something else happens.

  • He’ll have an accident if he goes on driving like that.
  • If the weather’s fine, we’ll have the party in the garden.
  • Look out – you’ll fall! (If you’re not more careful.)
  • ‘Come out for a drink.’ ‘No, I’ll miss the film on TV if I do.’
  • Don’t leave me. I’ll cry!

Future events already decided: will not used​

When future events are already decided, or when we can ‘see them coming’, we often prefer a present form (usually present progressive or going to …).

  • I’m seeing the headmaster on Monday.
  • My sister’s going to have a baby.
note

For details, (see here).

Not used in subordinate clauses: when I arrive​

In subordinate clauses, we usually use present tenses instead of will (see here).

  • I’ll phone you when I arrive. (not … when I will arrive.)

For exceptions, (see here), (see here).

note

For other uses of will, (see here), (see here), (see here).