Understanding the Past Form of 'Will'

The verb will is a fascinating example of a modal auxiliary verb that adds unique tenses and forms in English. While it might seem straightforward at first, understanding its past form and how it interacts with other English verbs can be quite complex. This article will delve into the intricacies of the past form of will, would, and willed, and help you navigate the various constructions using examples and explanations.

Regular Conjugation of 'Will'

The main lexical verb will can be seen as meaning to intend or to bequeath. Like other regular English verbs, it follows a straightforward conjugation pattern:

Present: I will, you will, he/she/it will, we will, they will Past: I/you/he/she/it willed, we/they willed Future: I/you/he/she/it will will, we/they will will

Example Sentences: Every day I will myself to stop eating candy. Yesterday I willed myself to stop eating candy. Tomorrow I will will myself to stop eating candy. I hereby will my possessions to my children. Last year I willed my possessions to my children. Someday I will will my possessions to my children.

The Modal Auxiliary 'Will' and Its Past Form

When will is used as a modal auxiliary to create future constructions (i.e., to express a future action or intention), it does not conjugate or change form. This means that will has no past tense in this context. In future constructions, the past form of will is would.

Example: I always say I will leave on time. I always said I would leave on time.

Understanding 'Would' as a Past Tense

Would is the past tense form of will and is used to indicate past intention or a wish. It is often used in constructions like:

Future in the past: I willed to go with you yesterday but I could not. Conditional: If I would have more time, I would go with you.

Direct and Reported Speech with 'Would'

In direct and reported speech, the verb form changes to reflect the time of the speech:

Direct Speech

Andrew: I will be late.

Reported Speech

Andrew said that he would be late.

Here, the present tense will changes to past tense would in reported speech.

How to Use 'Would' and 'Willed'

Observing the differences between willed and would is crucial. While wiled is the past tense of will in the sense of intending something, it has largely been assimilated to would in more modern usage. This means in many contexts, willed and would are used interchangeably, especially in informal settings.

Example Contexts

FUTURE: I will go with you tomorrow. PAST: I willed to go with you yesterday but I could not.

Understanding these nuances is key to using will, would, and willed correctly in both formal and informal English.

Conclusion

The past form of will is a complex topic in English grammar, involving both willed and would. Proper usage requires a deeper understanding of modal auxiliaries and their conjugation. For English learners and enthusiastic readers, mastering the nuances of will, would, and willed can significantly enhance language fluency and accuracy.

Further Reading

To further explore these concepts, we recommend the following resources:

Learn English Online - Would/Willed Exploration Understanding English - Past Tense Verbs English Page - Future Forms

By delving into these resources, you can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the past form of will and how it is used in various grammatical contexts.