When do we use will, would, shall and should?

"Will" and "would" for predictions:

We can use "will" for a prediction:

• It's midnight, and James is still working. He'll be tired tomorrow.
• They're going to Delhi for the weekend.--That will be nice.

We use "would" for a past prediction or a prediction about a possible situation.

PAST:

• At midnight James was still working. He would be tired the next day.

POSSIBLE:

• How about going to Netherlands next weekend?--That would be nice. I wouldn't enjoy a camping holiday.

We can use "shall" instead of "will", and "should" instead of "would", but only in the first person, after " I " and  "We".

• I will/shall go to the party.
• We would/should like to come with you all.

WRONG USAGE:

• My friend should like to come with us. ----incorrect.

Shall and Should are a little formal here.

Would like:

We can use would like, usually shortened to 'd like, when we ask for something.

• I'd like to have coffee.
• We'd like to order our food now.
• This is a more polite way of saying: than saying----I want to have coffee.

We also use "would like" in offers and invitations.

• Would you like a free gift?
• Would you like to accompany us to the party?

Decisions and refusals:

We can use "will" for an instant decision or for an offer.

DECISION:

• Tea or Coffee? ---I'll have coffee, please.

OFFER:

• I'll wait for you if you like.--Thanks a lot. I won't take much time.

We use "won't" and "wouldn't" for a refusal.

• The strikers won't attend work until all their demands are met
• The key went in the lock, but it wouldn't turn.
• I won't....is a strong refusal.
• I won't listen to her anymore.

Shall and Should:

We use "Shall I".....?..in offers and "Shall we".....? in suggestions.

OFFER:

• Shall I wait for you?---Thanks a lot, I won't take much time.

SUGGESTION:

•  Shall we go to the party?---Good idea.

We use either "Shall" or "Should" to ask advice.

• I'm facing a terrible predicament. What shall/ should I do?

We use "Should" to say what is the appropriate thing to do.

• People should be honest.
• We should exercise regularly.
• You shouldn't be a spendthrift.

What's the difference between "Will have done" and "was going to" in usage?

Let's discuss please......

Will have done:

Look at the following illustration:

·         Timmy: Sarah, what time will you be home?

·         Sarah: I'll have finished shopping by half past ten, so I should be home at eleven.

We use will have + a past participle (the future perfect) for something that will be over in the future.

Sarah is thinking of a future time (half past ten). At half past ten she will be in a position to say: I have finished shopping.

Look at these illustrations:

·         I'm looking at these snaps, but I'll have had enough by lunch-time.

·         Peter and Rachel will have lived here for six years next July.

·         This argument is going to last ages. They won't have finished it until midnight.

·         Will you have completed your practice by the time your mom comes to pick you up?

·         Yes, I'll have finished it by then.

We often use the future perfect with expressing of time such as by lunch-time, until midnight, before then, by the time you have to take it back.

Was going to:

Look at the following illustration:

·         Sarah: You haven't repaired the car.

·         Timmy: I was going to do it yesterday, but I had a terrible headache.

We can use be going to in the past tense to express an intention in the past. Timmy intended to repair the car yesterday. The intended action did not happen. In fact, Timmy didn't repair the car.

Look at some more illustrations:

·         I was going to clean the room, but I didn't find time.

·         Isabella wasn't going to spend any money, but she saw a pullover she just had to buy.

·         Mary walked away just as I was going to speak to her.

·         The boys left early. They were going to catch the six o'clock train.

·         Farah went to the airport at eight o'clock clock. She was going to fly to Amsterdam.

We can also use was going to for a prediction in the past.

·         We knew something was going to go wrong with the plan.

Would has a similar meaning:

·         I knew something would go wrong with the plan.

Who, what or which…

Let’s discuss the difference...

What or which?

We use "WHAT" when there is a wide choice of possible answers.

• What game do you like? (there are a lot of different games)
• What books do you read? (there are many books)

We use "WHICH" when there's a limited number of possible answers.

• Which way do we go? (there is a limited number of possible answers)
• Which finger did you hurt?

After which we sometimes say the possible answers.

• Which cafe did you go to, Sappy's, the Tea house or the Coffee pops?
• Which phone shall I use, this one or the one in the office?

Sometimes, "WHAT" and "WHICH" are both possible.

• What day/ Which day is your dance class?
• What train/ Which train will you catch?
• What part/Which part of India are you from?
• What platform/ Which platform does the train go from?

Let's discuss about "WHO", "WHAT" and "WHICH" at length.

We can use who, what, which without a noun.

• Who sent the letter?
• What do you think about our venture?
• Which is quicker, the bus or the train ?

We can use "WHAT" and "WHICH before a noun, but not "WHO".

Which employee sent the notice?

NOT Who employee sent the notice?

We can use which with one or ones, or with of.

• You can have a drink. Which one would you like?
• You can have some of the photos. Which ones would you like?
• Which one of these drinks would you like ?

We cannot use "WHO" or "WHAT" before of.

• Which of the employees?

NOT Who of the employees?

"WHO" always refer to a person.

• Who did you see? (Person)

"WHAT" generally refers to a thing. It can mean a person only if it comes before a noun.

• What did you see? (a thing)
• What medicine did you take?
• What doctor did you see in the morning? (Person or thing)

"WHICH" can mean a person or a thing.

• Which film did you watch in the theater?
• Which doctor did you visit?

When do we use "Quite" and "Rather”?

Please elucidate.

Quite usually means 'fairly' or 'a medium amount'.

I feel quite sleepy now.

Carrying out the repairs of the machine can be quite daunting.

The discussion was quite interesting.

We were quite taken aback by her reaction.

Stress with quite.

In speech, whether we stress quite or the adjective makes a difference to the meaning.

**** If we stress quite, it means 'fairly but not very'.

The meaning is negative.

The exhibition was quite good, but I've seen better ones.

I get up quite early, but not as early as you do.

**** If we stress the adjective, the meaning is positive; however, not as positive as very).

The exhibition was quite good. I enjoyed looking around it.

I got up quite early. I had a lot of tasks to do.

Quite or Rather?

When we make a favorable comment, we usually say quite, not rather.

The concert was quite interesting.

It's quite warm now.

It was quite nice meeting friends after a long time.

In unfavorable comments, we usually say rather, but quite is possible.

The concert was rather boring/ quite boring.

It was rather awkward/quite awkward taking my suitcase on the underground.

Rather in a favorable comment means 'to a surprising or unusual degree'.

It's rather warm for October.(It isn't usually so warm.)

I didn't know Malcolm can dance. He's rather good at it.

I expect Maria's jokes were awful. Actually they were rather funny.

We can use rather with a comparative but not quite.

The training took rather longer than we expected.

Quite meaning 'completely'.

With some adjectives, quite means 'completely' or 'totally'.

What you said is quite wrong. (Completely wrong)

The suggestion is quite absurd.(totally absurd)

His financial condition is quite hopeless.

Quite means 'completely' with these adjectives:

wrong, extraordinary, dreadful, amazing, awful, brilliant, certain, dead, right, sure, useless, true, false, hopeless, impossible, perfect, horrible, different, alone, ridiculous.

Compare the uses of quite:

I'm quite tired.(fairly)

The advice was quite useful. I got two or three opportunities.

I'm quite exhausted. (Completely)

The advice was quite useless. It did me no good.

HAPPY LEARNING!!!!

When do we use "will" and "be going to" in talking about facts in the future?

By Ranjana S.

• Anna: It's my birthday next week. I will be twenty next Monday.
• Tim: Oh, really? Are you going to have a party?
• Anna: I'm going to have dinner in a restaurant with a few friends.
• Tim: That''ll be nice.

****Will:

"Will" has a neutral meaning. We use it to talk about facts in the future.

I will be twenty next Saturday.

The spacecraft will land on the moon tomorrow morning.

****Be going to:

We use "be going to" for an intention, something that we have already decided to do.

• We are going to have dinner.
•  Andrew is going to sell his house.

Will does not express an intention.

It's her birthday. She's going to have a meal with her friends. NOT She'll have a meal.

However, we often use be going to for an intention and will for the details and comments. We are all going to dance at the party. There will be five of us.

Be going to, can be used in present continuous tense too.

• We are going to organize a get together next Friday.
• We are driving down to the South of France. It's going to be hectic.

»»»»Decisions and Intentions:

°°°Will:

We use will for an instant decision or agreement to do something.

• There's a mall on the adjacent side of the road, I will go and shop there.
• Mom: You haven't arranged your shelves, Rogers.
• Rogers: Ok, I will do it tomorrow.
• Rogers is deciding now.

°°°Be going to:

Be going to means that we have already decided.

• I'm going to the mall to shop.
• Mom :You haven't arranged your shelves, Rogers.
• Rogers: I'm going to do it tomorrow.
• Rogers has already decided.

»»»»Foretelling or Predictions:

°°°Will:

We can use will for a prediction about the future.

• I think India will win the match.
• One day we will go to Mars for our vacation.

°°°Be going to:

We use be going to for a prediction when we see from the present situation what is going to happen in the future.

• Look at the dark sky,  it's going to rain it seems.
• This bag isn't very strong. It's going to break.

It is often possible to use either form in a prediction. For example, we can also say I think India is going to win the match.

Usually, be going to is considered to be a little more informal and conversational than will.

What is the difference between “Hyperbole" AND "Euphemism"?

By Ranjana S.

»»»Hyperbole:

Hyperbole means exaggeration and by this figure things are represented as greater or less than they really are.

• When Kate smiled all the world was gay.
• I have not seen him for ages.
• The little girl wept oceans of tears.
• I thought ten thousand swords must have leapt from their scabbards to avenge even a look that threatened the queen with insult.                

 All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand-- Shakespeare.
 

 »»» Euphemism:

By this figure we express something unpleasant or delicate or blunt in a mild and gentle way. This figure of speech is adopted to refrain from offence and is prompted by kindly feeling.

It is very often heard "passed away" or "fallen asleep" in common parlance. Similarly "to put away" is a mild term for "murder".
 

• He was gathered to his fathers.
• Discord fell on the music of Christopher's soul.( I.e Christopher went berserk.)