Will/Want
Just here for the exercises? Click here.What’s the difference between will and want?
Will and want are often mixed up but their meanings are quite different; will talks about the future whereas want expresses a wish.
Learn the difference with Lingolia’s quick and easy examples, then put your knowledge to the test in the exercise.
Want
Use want to:
- express a desire or wish
- Example:
- He wants to own his own restaurant, it’s his dream.
Will
Use will to:
- talk about the future in the different future tenses;
- Example:
- Annie will be eleven in October.
- express a strong intention;
- Example:
- I will live abroad one day.
- show certainty;
- Example:
- I’m sure everything will be ok in the end.
- make predictions;
- Example:
- I think Liverpool will win the league this year.
- make promises;
- Example:
- I promise I’ll call you later.
- make requests;
- Example:
- Will you help me with this, please?
Info
Compare:
- Example:
- I will live abroad one day.
- the speaker firmly believes this, by using will he/she refers to a certainty
- I want to live abroad one day.
- this sentence is not as strong as the one above; it only expresses a wish, it doesn’t make any reference to the likelihood of this happening
Will and want as nouns
Both will and want can be used as nouns. They also have a difference in meaning.
As a noun, a will can refer to:
- determination, the mental ability that controls your actions
- Example:
- She has an iron will, when she decides to do something she doesn’t stop until she has achieved her goal.
- legal papers that explain what should be done with property and money after their owner dies
- Example:
- In his will he left his entire fortune to his cat, the family were furious.
In contrast, a want can refer to:
- a lack of something
- Example:
- We only went there for want of a better idea.
- a need for something
- Example:
- The garden is in want of some attention.