What is difference between will as a modal verbs and will as an auxiliary?
Someone told me will as an auxiliary expresses future
And as a modal, other things
This is confusing I used to think
Modal verbs were also auxiliaries
Top answer
You are right: the modal verbs, including "will", are auxiliaries. English does not have a future tense, so "will" is not a future tense verb. Instead English has various other ways to refer to future time, one of which uses the modal auxiliary verb "will".
- You are right: the modal verbs, including "will", are auxiliaries.
- English does not have a future tense, so "will" is not a future tense verb.
- Instead English has various other ways to refer to future time, one of which uses the modal auxiliary verb "will".
- Syntactically, "will" has two tenses: present "will" and preterite (past) "would".
- Semantically, it is used to make reference to future time (about 80% of its occurrences, I believe) but also for expressing volition, as in I keep telling my son to get his hair cut, but he won't .
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You are right: the modal verbs, including "will", are auxiliaries.
English does not have a future tense, so "will" is not a future tense verb. Instead English has various other ways to refer to future time, one of which uses the modal auxiliary verb "will".
Syntactically, "will" has two tenses: present "will" and preterite (past) "would".
Semantically, it is used to make ref
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