How to use WILL Part 2

Let’s now look at the nine other uses of WILL.

Read the other nine uses here.

Requests

A very informal way to make a request is by using Will.

• • • Will you get me some coffee, please?
    • Will you send me a copy, please?

Giving orders

Sometimes will is used to give out orders.

• • • Will you be quiet, please!
    • Will you step in to my room, please?
    • Will you stop creating a fuss about everything?

Insisting on action

Will is also used to urge or demand a specific action.

• • • The company will have to pay out the bonus this year. It’s the court’s order.
    • You will have to complete this report by five o’ clock today. (Whether you like it or not.)

General truths

You use will to talk about things that you believe is a general truth.

Q: Do you think I should apologise to Boss?

A: No, I don’t think so, because he’ll still send you the memo.

• • •  I think the rioters should be penalised otherwise they’ll take this leniency as a licence to continue their destructive acts.

 

Habitual proceedings

If you think that an event will happen very frequently, you use will.

Look, I’ll tell you what’ll happen at the meeting.

The boss will complain about the lack of enthusiasm. Jog will then show him the chart where the sales increased by 25% instead of the targeted 19%. The boss will then storm out of the meeting and all will be calm for one more month.

Disapproval

You use will to express your displeasure of some things that people keep doing – some repeated behaviour which you don’t like.

• • • He WILL come in late and WILL fiddle with his presentation for fifteen minutes. It angers me no end.

Note the stress on WILL.

Another way of saying this is

• • He always comes in late and fiddles with his presentation for fifteen minutes.

Complaining about inanimate objects (things)

If you have something against a non-living thing, you use will. It’s mostly a complaint so a negative use – WON’T.

• • • The key won’t turn.
    • The computer won’t boot up.
    • The ’phone won’t ring.

Ability

Will is used to talk about the ability or capability of any person or thing:

• • • The tree will survive without water for 15 days.
    • He will complete the task in 2 hours.
    • This amour plate will withstand an impact of 90,000 psi.

Desire, wish, like

Will is used to ask a person to follow his or her wish:

• • • Go where you will, but be back by 9.
    • Pay what you will. I’m fine with just about anything.
    • Tell her if you will, but I don’t care.
    • Order a pizza, if you will. I’ll just have some coffee.