Will is the most widely taught future form in English, but many learners — and some teachers — use it as if it were the only way to talk about the future. In fact, will has specific uses that make it the right choice in some situations and the wrong choice in others. It is used for decisions made at the moment of speaking, for predictions based on what we think or believe, for promises, and for offers. Understanding these uses precisely will help you teach will more accurately and prepare learners for the contrast with other future forms.
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.
This teacher did not plan to answer the phone before the meeting started. They made this decision at the moment of speaking. What does this tell you about one important use of will?
This is the spontaneous decision use of will — the most distinctive use and the one that most clearly separates will from going to. When a speaker decides to do something at the moment of speaking, with no prior plan, they use will. 'I'll answer it' was not planned — it was decided right now. This is why will is the natural choice when someone volunteers, offers, or reacts to a new situation. If the teacher had already planned to take calls during the meeting, they might say 'I'm going to answer it' — but that would be a very different situation. Will signals: I just decided this now.
None of these speakers have evidence they can point to right now. They are sharing what they believe or think will happen. What kind of future meaning is will carrying in these sentences?
These sentences show will used for predictions based on opinion, belief, or general expectation — not on visible present evidence. The speaker thinks something will happen, but they cannot point to a specific sign right now. This is different from going to predictions, where the speaker can point to something they can already see or know: 'Look at those clouds — it's going to rain.' When a prediction comes from what we believe or hope or expect, will is the natural choice. Words like 'I think', 'I expect', 'probably', 'definitely', and 'I'm sure' are common companions of this use of will.
These sentences make a commitment about the future. The speaker is not just predicting — they are guaranteeing something. What use of will do these sentences show?
Will is used for promises and offers — situations where the speaker commits themselves to a future action. 'I will help you' is not just a prediction that the speaker will help — it is a commitment. Similarly, 'I won't tell anyone' is a promise not to do something. Offers ('I'll carry that for you') also use will, because the speaker is committing at the moment of speaking. In all these cases, the speaker is putting themselves on record — making a guarantee. This use of will is important to teach because promises and offers are high-frequency communicative acts.
| Form | Use / Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Example | Notes |
| Positive (all subjects) | She will explain the task. | will + base form — no -s for third person |
| Contraction | She'll explain the task. | 'll is the natural spoken form |
| Negative | He won't be late. | will not / won't + base form |
| Question | Will you help me? | Will + subject + base form |
| Short answer | Yes, I will. / No, I won't. | Never: Yes, I will go. |
| With 'I think / probably' | I think it will be a long meeting. | Common companions for prediction use |
WON'T FOR REFUSALS
Will not (won't) can also be used to express refusal — when a person or even a thing refuses to do something. 'The printer won't work.' (It is refusing to work — a common informal way to describe a machine that is not functioning.) 'He won't listen to advice.' (He refuses to listen.) This use is related to the promise/commitment use of will: just as will expresses willingness, won't expresses unwillingness or refusal. Teaching this alongside the positive uses gives learners a fuller picture.
SHALL FOR OFFERS AND SUGGESTIONS (BRITISH ENGLISH)
In British English, shall is sometimes used instead of will in the first person for offers and suggestions: 'Shall I carry that for you?' 'Shall we start the meeting?' This is more formal and is less common in everyday speech, but teachers may encounter it in texts and should be able to explain it. In most African English teaching contexts, will is the standard form and shall is not a priority at basic level.
CONTRACTIONS IN SPEECH AND WRITING
In natural spoken English, will almost always contracts: I'll, you'll, she'll, they'll. In formal written English, the full form 'will' is used. Learners who only practise the full form in writing may find it hard to hear and produce contractions in speech. Drawing attention to contractions early is useful.
WHEN IS WILL THE RIGHT CHOICE? - Did the speaker just decide this at this moment (not a prior plan)? → Will. - Is this a prediction based on what you think or believe (no visible evidence)? → Will. - Is the speaker making a promise or a commitment? → Will. - Is the speaker making an offer to help? → Will. - Was the decision or plan already made before this moment? → Will is probably NOT the right choice — consider going to. - Is there visible evidence for the prediction right now? → Will is probably NOT the right choice — consider going to.
Choose the correct form to complete each sentence. Think about which use of will applies.
Each sentence has one error. Write the correct sentence and explain the mistake.
Use this sequence directly in class — guided discovery, no textbook needed. Tap each step to mark it done.
STEP 1 — REACT TO A SITUATION (5 minutes): Describe a sudden classroom problem: 'The chalk has finished. There are no more books on the shelf. A student feels sick.' After each one, ask learners: 'What would you say?' Encourage natural responses using will: 'I'll get some chalk.' 'I'll share my book.' Write the responses on the board. Ask: 'Did you plan these before I described the problem, or did you decide just now?' Establish the spontaneous decision use.
STEP 2 — IDENTIFY THE USE (7 minutes): Write six sentences on the board — two spontaneous decisions, two predictions with 'I think', two promises. Ask learners to work in pairs and label each sentence: decision, prediction, or promise. Take feedback and discuss. Make the form visible: underline will and the base form in each sentence.
STEP 3 — FORM FOCUS (5 minutes): Ask learners to quickly produce the negative and question forms of three sentences. For example: 'She will come.' → 'She won't come.' → 'Will she come?' Go around the class quickly. Correct any errors involving -s on the verb or 'to' after will immediately and explain the rule.
STEP 4 — PREDICTIONS ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL (8 minutes): Ask learners to make three predictions about their school in the next year. They must use 'I think... will' or '...will probably...' Share predictions with a partner. The partner responds with agreement or disagreement using will: 'Yes, I think you're right — it will.' / 'I don't think it will — I think...'
STEP 5 — PROMISES AND OFFERS (5 minutes): Ask learners to think of one promise they can make to their learners and one offer they can make to a colleague. Write them down. Share two or three with the class. Give feedback on form and on whether will is the right choice for the meaning intended.
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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