Will and would are two of the most frequent modal verbs in English — and also among the most misunderstood. Students often think of 'will' as simply the future tense, and 'would' only as the conditional form. But both do many more jobs than this. Understanding their full range of uses makes communication much richer and more natural.
Before you start — think honestly about your own teaching and experience.
Look at the examples. Answer each question before reading the explanation — this is how your students will learn too.
Read these sentences. 'Will' is used in each — but not always to talk about the future. What is the speaker doing in each sentence?
A = offer — the speaker decides at the moment of speaking to help. This is a spontaneous decision (not planned in advance). B = promise — the speaker commits to doing something. C = request — asking someone to do something ('will you' is slightly less formal than 'could you'). D = spontaneous decision — the speaker decides on the spot, not in advance. E = refusal or strong unwillingness — 'won't' = refuses to, is not willing to. All five use 'will' or 'won't' — but none is simply 'the future'. Will is used for: offers, promises, spontaneous decisions, requests, and expressing willingness or refusal. Students who only know 'will = future' are missing most of its everyday uses.'
Now read these sentences with 'would'. Some you will recognise from conditional sentences. But others are doing different jobs. Can you identify what each one does?
'Would you like...?' = polite offer (offering something to someone). 'I would prefer' = expressing preference (which option the speaker wants). 'Would you mind...?' = very polite request (mind + -ing form). 'We would walk to school' = past habit — something done regularly in the past (no longer true). 'I wouldn't trust' = advice or strong recommendation (negative willingness). Would does many things: polite offers, preferences, polite requests, past habits, and in second conditionals (covered elsewhere). The past habit use is particularly important — 'would' for past repeated actions is common in storytelling and autobiographical writing.'
Now compare 'would' and 'used to' for past habits. Read these sentences and think about the difference.
Both 'used to' and 'would' can express past habits — repeated actions that happened regularly in the past but no longer happen. 'I used to walk to school' and 'I would walk to school' have the same meaning — both describe a past routine. However: 'used to' can also describe past states — things that were true over a period (I used to be tall, she used to live here, we used to have a garden). 'Would' CANNOT describe past states. 'We would have a large garden' is wrong because 'have a garden' is a state, not a repeated action. The rule: would = repeated past actions only. Used to = repeated past actions AND past states.'
WOULD vs. USED TO — the most important distinction:
Both can describe past repeated actions (habits):
Only 'used to' can describe past states:
TEST: Can you say 'this happened repeatedly at a specific time'? → both would and used to are possible.
Is this about how something WAS (not something that happened repeatedly)? → only used to.
WOULD LIKE vs. WANT:
'Would like' is the polite version of 'want'. It is used in requests, offers, and polite expressions of preference.
Is the speaker making an offer or deciding something spontaneously? → will. Is the speaker making a promise? → will. Is the speaker refusing or showing unwillingness? → won't. Is the speaker making a polite request or offer? → would (would you like / would you mind). Is the speaker expressing preference? → would prefer / would rather. Is the speaker describing a past repeated action? → would or used to. Is the speaker describing a past state (how things were)? → used to (not would).
Choose the correct form. Think about which use of will, would, or used to fits best in each sentence.
Each sentence contains an error. Write the correct version and explain why — then reveal the answer.
Use this sequence directly in class — guided discovery, no textbook needed. Tap each step to mark it done.
STEP 1 — THE OFFERS ACTIVITY (5 minutes): Set up a scenario: a colleague arrives carrying many heavy bags, looking tired. Ask students: what would you say? Elicit: 'I'll carry that.' 'I'll make you some tea.' 'I'll get you a chair.' Write the responses. Ask: are these future plans or decisions made right now? Elicit: spontaneous decisions — made at the moment. This is will for offers. Compare: 'I'm going to help you' = planned. 'I'll help you' = decided now.
STEP 2 — THE POLITE REQUEST SCALE (5 minutes): Write four ways to ask someone to open a window:
STEP 3 — PAST HABITS: WOULD OR USED TO? (8 minutes): Tell students a short story about your own past — or a fictional person's past — using would and used to naturally.
STEP 4 — WOULD AND USED TO — THE RULE (5 minutes): Write the test explicitly on the board:
Repeated action (happened many times)? → would or used to
Past state (how something was)? → used to ONLY
Give students five sentences and ask them to decide: both possible, or used to only? Make the decision process explicit and repeatable.
STEP 5 — MY PAST CLASSROOM (5 minutes): Ask students to write five sentences about their early experiences of school — as a student. They should use both would (repeated actions) and used to (states and habits). Share in pairs. Listen for 'would be' and 'would have' used for states — correct gently. This is reflective, personal, and produces authentic language.
Use directly in class — copy, adapt, or read aloud. No printing needed.
For each strategy, choose the option that best describes where you are now.
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