What's the difference between:
"I would go on a walk with my friend tonight. "
"I will go on a walk with my friend tonight. "
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"I would go on a walk with my friend tonight, but I don't think my injured ankle is strong enough yet."– Kate BuntingJul 23, 2021 at 7:31
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1Have you looked up the difference between will and would?– GArthurBrownJul 23, 2021 at 7:40
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Lots of dupes: ell.stackexchange.com/questions/232969/… ell.stackexchange.com/questions/236265/… ell.stackexchange.com/questions/252668/… ell.stackexchange.com/questions/281080/would-be-vs-will-be?rq=1– James KJul 23, 2021 at 9:15
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What @KateBunting said. I would do it normally refers to a counterfactual [future] action - so it's often followed by a but- clause explaining why I'm not actually going to do it. Note that would here (as the past tense of will) strongly implies willingness / volition / intention (as in I want to do it, but I can't).– FumbleFingersJul 23, 2021 at 17:01
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1 Answer
"I would go on a walk with my friend tonight." Would is the past of will and we often select past forms of modals verbs to talk about unreal situations in the present or future. This sentence doesn't make a lot of sense on it own.
"I will go on a walk with my friend tonight." Will expresses willingness or volition or 'future as fact' or prediction but again, on its own, we lose nuance.
