ESL Learning: Will vs. Would

What is the difference between Will & Would

We continue our discussion of modal verbs with will and would. Will you be able to know the difference between the 2 words by the time you finish reading this blog?

I would say that it is possible!

Remember that contractions are often used with will and would.

• I will = I’ll

• She will = She’ll

• They would = They’d

• We would not = We wouldn’t

Will: used to describe when something is certain to happen in the future

Examples:

• I will be here tomorrow at 10 am.

• They will go fishing next weekend.

• We will surely succeed!

Will: also used for first conditional situations, in which there is real possibility that will not change

Examples:

• If it rains while I am outside, my hair will get wet, unless I use my umbrella.

• If his favorite team wins, he’ll be happy.

• If she gets paid tomorrow, she will take me to the movie.

Will: to describe a choice that is made quickly, a promise, an offer, or something that is likely to happen

Examples:

• There’s a lot of traffic on the highway. I’ll have to get off and take a side street.

• I promise that I’ll call as soon as I get home.

• I’ll take you out to eat when I get home.

• I bet she will be happy to see you!

Note that will can also be used with questions that have a clear outcome, or are asked in a very direct way (such as by a boss to his assistant).

• Will they be coming tomorrow?

• Will I have the report by tomorrow morning?

Will also has several different meaning when it is used as a noun, usually related to the ability to choose, a legal document that describes how one’s belongings will be divided after death, or a strong desire.

Examples:

• One of the greatest gifts that humans have is our free will, our ability to choose.

• It is important to create a living will before we die.

• Her will to succeed was unstoppable.

Would: used to show good manners with questions when making invitations, asking for permission, or exploring a preference

Examples:

• Would you like to have dinner with us this weekend?

• Would I be able to borrow your car for a couple of hours?

• Would you like eggs or fruit for breakfast?

• Would you like to stop and get some food before we get there?

Would: to express a preference, invite, or respond to an invitation in a polite way

Examples:

• We’d like to eat before we go to the movie.

• They said that they would like to invite us to their home in Paris!

• She would rather go to a Thai restaurant than to eat hamburgers.

• I would love to go, but I’m not available at that time. How about next Saturday at 7 pm?

Would:  with second or third conditional statements, used to describe imaginary situations

Examples:

• If she liked rock music, she would enjoy this album.

• If we ate before, we wouldn’t be hungry now.

• If they had learned assertive communication skills, they wouldn’t have gotten in a fight.

• If I hadn’t written this blog, you would not have been able to read it now.

Note that these conditional statements can also be expressed as questions:

• What would you do if you had a million dollars?

That reminds me of a classic commercial from my childhood: “What would you do for a Klondike bar?”

Would can also be used to answer that question, along with other second and third conditional questions, or to express an imaginary solution.

• I would use solar power to make fuel if I had a million dollars.

• If I could, I would end poverty all over the world.

Now that you know the difference between will and would, let’s put your skills to the test!

They __________  definitely be there tomorrow.

1. will

2. would

We ___________ like to be able to meet her there, but we may be too busy.

1. will

2. would

I’__________ send you an email when I’m ready.

1. ll

2. d

We’re really enjoying this movie. We __________ have watched it when it was in the theatre if we knew that it was so funny!

1. will

2. would

Remember to visit our Facebook page for more quizzes, games, and resources. And finally, let me invite you: would you like to set up a free class with ETO online? We will be happy to schedule one here.

You can count on us. We’ll be there!

By Joseph

ETO American English teacher

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ESL Learning: Weather Idioms

How’s the weather where you are today?

Let’s talk about some idioms related to the weather.

It’s raining cats and dogs: this is a phrase used to describe very heavy rain. Very, very heavy rain, so heavy that it sounds like animals are landing on the roof! Some people claim that the origin of this phrase is the Greek “cata doxa”, which translates to something like ‘beyond previous experience or belief’.

There is also a sadder explanation for the beginning of this phrase in English. Long ago, before we had good rain drains in cities, many cats and dogs would die during heavy rain because they would drown in suddenly flooded streets. In English, we call sudden flooding flash floods.

Nowadays, “it’s raining cats and dogs” can be used for any time when it is raining unusually hard.

Examples

• The weather report says that it will be raining cats and dogs tonight. We better not go to the soccer game.

• Oh my gosh! It’s raining cats and dogs out there! My clothes are totally soaked!

• When it’s raining cats and dogs, it’s important to be careful while driving. Some drivers will slow down suddenly, and others may panic. You may want to pull off the road until the rain slows down, if it is safe to do so.

Come rain or shine: we use this phrase to express that it doesn’t matter what the weather will be like. It is often used to let someone know that he or she can depend on us (or is expected) to be somewhere despite any challenges, including bad weather.  This phrase may also be expressed as rain or shine or come rain or come shine.

Examples

• I’m going to meet you here at 10 am, come rain or shine.

• Although there were protests throughout the city, my taxi driver got me to the airport. He’s the  best! He always gets me there, rain or shine.

• Come rain or come shine, no matter what comes, a good husband will be loyal to his wife, as long as she is loyal to him.

How’s the weather up there?: this phrase is used to ask the literal (exactly as the words suggest) question about the weather when someone is at a higher elevation. It can also be used when someone short is speaking to someone taller. Be careful not to ask this question to someone who is embarrassed of being tall. This phrase can also be used when a short person is positioned higher than you are, like a child who is sitting on his father’s shoulders.

• Wow! You must really be enjoying your vacation to the mountains! How’s the weather up there?

• Hey, Shaq! How’s the weather up there?

No matter how the weather is, ETO is here for our clients. So come rain or come shine, you can count on us. It may be raining cats and dogs, but you can have an exceptional class from the comfort of your own home. Check out what our clients have to say about us!

We’re happy to be at your service in any weather!

In the meantime, please stay subscribed to our Facebook, YouTube & Twitter pages.

By Joseph

ETO American English teacher

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Learn English Online: Finding English Teachers abroad

Why Many of the Best English Teachers Don’t Live in Your Country

Many young people with great potential as English teachers finish their educations in the United States, Canada or Western Europe, and they go overseas to teach.

Teaching in Japan, Korea, China, Saudi Arabia, or other developed nations around the world allows many of these teachers to develop skills and to create confidence in their abilities. As English teachers give to these societies, they also receive.

First of all, so many Asian cultures show tremendous respect for teachers. There is much more dignity and fulfillment while teaching in these cultures, and motivation to improve for serious teachers. And these educators are living in foreign cultures that welcome them, honor them, and offer the opportunities to travel and experience new things.

As English teachers develop more experience, they are given the chance to work with adults. After a few years of working with adults, committed English teachers often reach a level of mastery that makes studying with them really amazing, and helpful for mastering your English.

But life comes in. The teachers are often asked to work super long hours at the private schools where they find the best pay, and are discouraged (or even banned by law, as is the case in Korea) from accepting private clients outside of these schools.

No matter how excellent the level of teaching, the experienced, gifted English teacher is often faced with the fact that he or she has reached the highest pay grade and the greatest influence possible without risking his or her job by taking on many private students.

And, of course, especially as we reach our 30s, we develop a desire to start a family, to continue to build towards our dreams, and to create a home base. So, just as a high level of mastery is achieved, many serious English teachers are thankful for the experiences they’ve had and the expertise that they have developed, but they prepare to head back to North America and Europe.

Some master English teachers choose to stay in North America or Europe, and teach online. Nowadays, the internet has also allowed many great English teachers to live anywhere in the world where they can find dependable internet, and to participate in what we call conscious lifestyle design.

Conscious lifestyle design is creating a life that would require a person to be a millionaire in North America or western Europe, but doing it for much less, by living in beautiful locations in Central and South America or South Asia.

With a lower cost of living, nicer climates, and continued opportunities to travel and enjoy the world, these places have become some of the most popular destinations for gifted, master English teachers. Many other professionals who have established job mobility (the ability to work from anywhere in the world) are also relocating in large numbers to these developing countries.

But just like you are looking for the best English teachers, they are also looking for you. Most citizens of the hot spots that allow for conscious lifestyle design, such as Chile, Panama, Brazil, Uruguay, the Philippines, and Malaysia, cannot afford to pay master English teachers fairly.

Would you like higher quality English classes with some of these master teachers? ETO allows you to work with highly skilled North American teachers who have lots of expertise working with clients from developed Asian countries and all over the world.

And the best part is that the price is much more reasonable than you would pay for private lessons in your own country!

Study from home, and enjoy experiencing a new found level of confidence with your English. Contact ETO now for a free class. We only work with the best English teachers!

In the meantime, please stay subscribed to our Facebook, YouTube & Twitter pages.

By Joseph

ETO American English teacher

Photos by:  hannahspanna, Giorgio Montorsino & Au Pair

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ESL learning: There, Their & They’re

OK ladies and gents, I will answer a question that I had recently from a student studying a course in Business English.

Is there a difference between There, They’re and Their?

Yes. Of course! Here are the basic usages and differences in brief; we will look at them more closely further down in this post.

1. Use “There” when referring to a place.
2. Also use “There” to indicate the existence of something.
3. Use “Their” to indicate possession.
4. “They’re” is a contraction meaning ‘they are’.

There:
1. Adverb which means the opposite of “here”

The English book is over there.
Freeze! Stay right there.
Would you study English here or there?

2. Pronoun which introduces a clause or a noun.

We say ‘there’ + verb-to-be (is, am, are, was & were).
This shows the existence of a thing.
Also, we can use There to say something for the first time.
There is a great Travel English Program at ETO.
Are there any sodas here?
There is an old house on the corner.
There are a lot of people learning English as a second language.

3. Adjective which specifies a certain person, thing or noun.

That fish there is pretty.
That Native English teacher there is the best.

4. Noun which translates to “that place.”

He is not climbing up there!
From there, she jogged home.

Their: 

Their is an adjective that shows 3rd person possessive usually, but not always, in the plural form. This means that it shows that something belongs to another group of people. The word There nearly always comes just before the noun

Where are their grammar tips?
Is this their house?
At the ETO website, their demo class is posted for everyone to view.
ETO’s online textbooks are on their website too.
Her parents lost their car in the big parking lot.

They’re: 

There is a contraction. It means they are. There is usually followed by a continuous verb, (verb+ing)

They’re leaving tomorrow.
Who knows which English thesaurus they’re reading?
I see they’re improving their American pronunciation.
When they’re here, we will begin the conversation class.
When they’re richer, they can buy a nicer car.

Helpful ways to remember these grammar rules

There: Has the word ‘here’ inside to remind us there refers to places.
Their: Has the word ‘heir’ inside to remind us that something belongs to someone.
They’re: Try spelling out the contraction as ‘they are’ and see if it still sounds correct.

Grammar Quiz Time ^__^
Please try to complete the below grammar test and see how you do!
1. ___ cat is big.
a. Their
b. There
c. They’re

2. ___ was a common grammar point on the test.
a. Their
b. There
c. They’re

3. Her students will come today. ___ driving from Chicago.
a. Their
b. There
c. They’re

4. Many years ago ___ weren’t any SAT exams; universities only looked at high school grades.
a. their
b. there
c. they‘re

5. My friends bought new English material for learning. ___ new material is great!
a. Their
b. There
c. They’re

6. Both drivers have a license. ___ both able drive legally.
a. Their
b. There
c. They’re

7. When you drive over ___ , can you please take my sister with you?
a. their
b. there
c. they‘re

8. Will you show me where ___ ETO Blogs are?
a. their
b. there
c. they‘re

9. ___ building is across the street.
a. Their
b. There
c. They’re

10. Can you tell me where ___ English class is?
a. their
b. there
c. they‘re

Please omment below with your answers..

How to keep learning?

Learn to recognize correct and incorrect usages of Their, There and They’re. It always helps us learn if we can teach these new points to a friend or if we write a few example sentences using the new grammar knowledge.

If you are still having challenges with this grammar, consider hiring a private tutor online.

In the meantime, please stay subscribed to our Facebook, YouTube & Twitter pages

By: Luke 

ETO American English teacher

Image credit 1: Grammarly.com

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