Class Notes : Will, Would, Can, Could

WILL

WILL is used for future predictions, but it is also about willingness:
- Will you help me? (not a particularly polite way to ask for help)
- I’ll help you. (it’s always polite to offer!)
- I’ll get the phone.
- I’ll lend you the money.

WILL is a modal verb, and therefore reflects the writer / speaker’s point of view at the moment of writing / speaking. When we refer to the future without prior thought or planning, it’s very natural to use WILL:
- Are you going to the party?
- Yes
- Oh good…I’ll go too.

WOULD

If we think of WILL being a present tense, we can see that its meaning is REAL / POSSIBLE. If we think of WOULD as the past tense of WILL, it makes sense that its meaning is UNREAL / HYPOTHETICAL:
REAL: If Yasir brings a knife to the next class, Omar will feel scared.
UNREAL : If Yasir attacked Omar with a knife in class, Mark would encourage him.

Other UNREAL uses:
- I would never eat dog.
- If I were you I’d get my hair cut.
- If I was a woman I’d be happier.

WOULD is also used to report WILL in the past:

1900: “no man will ever walk on the moon”.

In 1900, it was believed that no man would ever walk on the moon.
In 1900, the idea that a man would one day walk on the moon was unfathomable.

CAN and COULD

CAN has several functions. It could refer to ABILITY (I can speak French), PERMISSION (Can I go to the toilet?), and a GENERAL prediction (English can be difficult at times).
COULD also more than one possible use. It can refer to LIKELIHOOD (Some people think that England could win the World Cup this summer), GENERAL ABILITY IN THE PAST (I could swim quite well when I was younger)
This is a potential barrier to clear communication. If we say “Maggie could get married”, are we talking about the past or the future? We can adjust our language to make meaning clearer:
SPECIFIC ABILITY IN THE PAST: Maggie was able to get married three years ago because she found a man who had lost his glasses.
FUTURE PREDICTION: Maggie could get married to a rich Saudi prince in the future if she is lucky.
“Maggie can get married” either refers to her ability – or rather eligibility – or the fact that she has permission to marry.