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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > "will" for present habits
"will" for present habits
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Gi2gi
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"will" for present habits
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I was wondering, how common is it to use will for present habits? Like in the sentences below: She �ll have a cup of tea every morning and then go out for a stroll. (She does it regularly in the present, "will" does not refer to the future). And another one: She will enter the room with her dirty shoes on (I guess, the "will" here in its full, uncontracted form suggests the speaker �s annoyance to someone �s present habit). I would love to hear your comments if my conclusions are correct and about how common is such a structure in your dialect...
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22 May 2015
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yanogator
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Hi, Giorgi, As you know, I enjoy answering your questions because of their depth. My answer will apply only to US English, because I think this usage is less common here than in other countries. Using "will" for habitual behavior is recognized here, but not often used. We would view it as a literary usage - found in literature but not in conversation. That changes somewhat if we add a condition to the sentence. On cold mornings, she will wear a fuzzy bathrobe while she fixes breakfast. We use it especially if there is a frequency adverb added: On cold mornings, she will often wear a fuzzy bathrobe..." The other use of "will", which is using the verb in its original sense of "using the will, doing something willfully", is pretty rare in the US. Bruce |
22 May 2015
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Gi2gi
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Hi, Bruce. Thank you cordially for your answers. It is a real joy to read them,since no textbook can offer such in-depth explanations. Having gained confidence, I will pass this information on to my curious upper-intermediate students tomorrow. :) cheers
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22 May 2015
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yanogator
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You �re welcome, Georgi, but I would recommend seeing what the British English crowd has to say first. Bruce
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22 May 2015
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Minka
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What about phrases? Is the phrase "Boys will be boys", for instance, often used in the US? |
22 May 2015
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ninon100
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And Friends Will Be Friends!!! (QUEEN) :) |
23 May 2015
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yanogator
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Yes, we do have some fixed expressions that we still use in the US with that use of "will". Bruce
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23 May 2015
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cunliffe
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It seems to be used rarely for habitual action these days and I go along with what Bruce says. Of course, this usage would be recognised and wouldn �t raise any eyebrows. It is used more frequently to express annoyance and sometimes with �insist �. He will insist on coming in with filthy shoes on... |
23 May 2015
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