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Anonymous Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

Please help me with this!

Hi, my name is Korea. I teach English to junior highschool students.

Please somebody teach me the difference between "Will you join us?" and "Won't you join us?"

Is the latter ("Won't you") more informal, casual than the former ("Will you")?

Any information about the difference will be much appreciated.
  

Top answer

If you expect the answer to be negative: will you not . On the other hand, if you expect it to be positive: will you.

— Inchoateknowledge

  • If you expect the answer to be negative: will you not .
  • On the other hand, if you expect it to be positive: will you.
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6 Answers
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If you expect the answer to be negative: will you not .
On the other hand, if you expect it to be positive: will you.
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Hello, Inchoateknowledge. Thank you very much for your reply.

So, you're saying that if you expect the hearer to say "no", you should ask, "Will you not join us?" , not "Won't you join us?" and if you expect him to say "yes", then you should ask, "Will you join us?", aren't you?

If somebody has a different opinion, please tell me.
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Well, yes, I have a different opinion, although what Inchoate could also be correct, depending on context. To me, they are largely interchangeable, but the "will you" can have a sense of genuine inquiry ("Are you coming or not?") while the "won't you" has a sense of "I really hope you are coming."

If you have ALREADY invited the person, and have gotten the impression that he's not coming,
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Yes, "Won't you" sometimes could sound more invitatory and considerate.
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Thank you very much, Barbara.

I've learned a lot from you!
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Hello, Maple.

Thank you for your information.
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