This grammar will help you speak more like a native English speaker does. Here we explain how to use "won’t" and "wouldn’t" for indicating an unsuccessful attempt and a refusal.
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Transcript:
Hello and welcome to LetThemTalk . If you are learning English you know that the modal verb "will" can be used to express the future but this is not the only way we use it. In English we use "will" in many different ways including in the present. Today we’re going to look at "will not" or "won’t" to talk about refusals.
In English when we want to say that something is not working after attempting to make it work we use "will not" or "won’t". This man is having a lot of trouble with his car. What would you say? That’s right.
"The car won’t start".
Now, If are are thinking that you should say "the car doesn’t start" well that’s not quite correct because he’s making an attempt and it doesn’t respond so you use "won’t". His car won’t start.
and just to remind you we are not talking about the future here we are using will to talk about a present situation
Look at some more examples
the computer won’t work.
the window won’t open.
We also use this form to talk about people refusing to do something
He won’t eat his vegetables
the soldiers won’t fight.
I won’t go there
Remember you must use "will not" or "won’t" here if you use "don’t" or "doesn’t" it can change the meaning
For example, "the workers won’t work today" - means they refuse to work, they are on strike
"the workers don’t work today" - means they are not working because it might be a holiday.
In the past we use use "wouldn’t". I remind you that wouldn’t here is not a conditional it’s just expressing the same refusals that we i just talked about but in the past.
I was late to work today because the car wouldn’t start.
I phoned all day but she wouldn’t answer the phone…
Even though I was telling the truth he wouldn’t believe me
That’s it thanks for watching more English language videos coming soon.