Won't: negative sentences

510 fill-in-the-gap exercises, 51 tests of ten

Will plus not, almost always shortened to won't. One form for every subject.

The shop any subject

won't will + not

open plain verb

before nine the rest

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The pattern

Will not contracts to won’t — not willn’t. The spelling is a leftover from an older form of the verb, and it is the only contraction in English that changes the vowel.

They will not agree. → They won’t agree.

Refusal

With a person, won’t often means a decision not to, rather than a prediction:

He won’t answer my calls. — he is refusing.

With a thing, it means something is failing to work:

The engine won’t start. The window won’t close.

This is one of the few places where a negative carries more meaning than the matching positive.

Softening a prediction

A negative prediction is often wrapped in I don’t think rather than stated flatly:

I don’t think it will work. — more natural than I think it won’t work.

Not until

A common pairing states when something will finally happen by saying when it will not:

The results won’t be ready until Friday.

All forms

Subject	Full form	Short form
every subject	will not go	won't go

Examples

Taken from the 510 sentences in this drill. The answer is highlighted.

We won't be able to go on vacation next month.
John won't finish his homework on time.
They won't make much progress in their project.
She won't go to the party without an invitation.
He won't have any complaints about the service.
They won't watch their favorite TV show tonight.
She won't attend the meeting next Monday.
I won't see him tomorrow.
We won't do our best to resolve the conflict peacefully.
She won't let her cat outside.
It won't take long for them to solve the problem.
You won't visit your friend tomorrow.

Mistakes to avoid

Wrong: She willn't come. correct: She won't come.

The contraction of will not is won't — an old form that kept its own spelling.

Wrong: I won't to go. correct: I won't go.

No to after won't.

Wrong: If it won't rain, we'll walk. correct: If it doesn't rain, we'll walk.

After if, English uses the present, not will.

Other forms of Future Simple with will

Positive Statements in Future Simple Tense with "will" 450 sentences, 45 tests of ten Negative Statements in Future Simple Tense with "will" 510 sentences, 51 tests of ten Questions in Future Simple Tense with "will" 600 sentences, 60 tests of ten WH-Questions in Future Simple Tense with "will" 450 sentences, 45 tests of ten

Mixed practice → Done with this form? Try it among all the others — ten, twenty or thirty sentences from every form at once.