Will talks about the real future: decisions, promises, predictions. Would is its conditional and past twin: imagined situations, polite requests and the future seen from the past: She said she would call.
will or would — can you pick the right one?
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will + verb (decision, promise, prediction); would + verb (imagined situation); Would you…? (polite request); said/knew/thought (that) … would + verb; if + past, … would + verb
- I'll send you the report by Friday, I promise.
- It would be great to visit Japan in spring when the trees are in blossom.
- She said she would call me after the interview.
What changed
First versionI knew she will be late, so I ordered coffee for both of us.
RevisionI knew she would be late, so I ordered coffee for both of us.
She will be late looks like a plain future, so will seems right. But after a verb in the past (knew, said, thought), the future shifts into the past: will becomes would.
In requests both forms work, but they sound different. Will you close the window? sounds direct, almost like an instruction. Would you close the window, please? is softer and more polite, especially with strangers and in emails.
Your turn
If I had more free time, I ___ learn to play the guitar.
Show the answer
would — If I had more free time is an imagined situation: in reality there's no free time. A sentence like this needs would. Will fits a real condition: If I have time, I will…
Write what you would do if you had a month off. Name one place and one activity.
If I had a free month, I would go to Portugal and take a surfing course.
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