Advanced modals: will, would and be bound to

That'll be the postman, he will leave his socks out, it may well rain, she's bound to win, you are to wait.

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Modal verbs have meanings beyond the basic ones you learnt earlier. Will can make an assumption about now, will and would can describe typical behaviour, may well says something is likely, and be bound to and be to express certainty and formal plans or orders.

Form	Meaning	Example
will	a confident assumption about now	That'll be the postman.
will / would	typical, habitual behaviour	She'll sit there for hours.
may well, might well	quite likely	It may well rain later.
might as well	there's no better option	We might as well walk.
be bound to	certain to happen	He's bound to be late.
be to	a formal plan or an order	The President is to visit Japan.

Will and will have for assumptions

Will + base form says what you are confident is true now, from what you know. Will have + past participle does the same for the past.

(The doorbell rings.) That'll be the postman.
You'll be tired after the journey. Sit down.
Don't call them now. They'll be having dinner.
It's six o'clock. She'll have left the office by now.

Will and would for typical behaviour

Will describes typical behaviour or characteristic habits in the present, would in the past. When will or would is stressed and not contracted, it shows that the habit annoys the speaker.

My grandmother will sit in the garden for hours, just watching the birds.
On Sundays we would walk along the river after lunch.
Oil will float on water.
This is what oil always does.
He will leave his wet towels on the floor!
Will is stressed: he always does it, and it annoys me.
"She says it was your fault." "Well, she would say that, wouldn't she?"
Would is stressed: it's typical of her to say that.

May well, might well, might as well

May well, might well and could well mean that something is quite likely. Might as well and may as well mean "there's no reason not to", because nothing better is possible.

The figures may well be wrong.
It's quite possible, even likely, that they're wrong.
Take a coat. It could well get cold later.
The last bus has gone, so we might as well walk.
It's raining, so we may well stay at home.
We'll probably stay at home.
It's raining, so we might as well stay at home.
There's no point in going out.

Be bound to, be sure to, be certain to

These say that the speaker is sure something will happen. They take the base form of the verb.

Don't worry, you're bound to find a job soon.
It's bound to rain the day we go camping.
She's certain to win the election.
Incorrect: He's bound to being late.
Correct: He's bound to be late.
To here is part of the infinitive, so use the base form.

Be to: formal plans and orders

Be to + base form is used for official plans and arrangements, especially in news, and for orders and rules. If + be to means "if we want to". Was / were to have + past participle is a plan that did not happen.

The Prime Minister is to visit India next month.
All staff are to report to reception on arrival.
You are not to leave this room until I say so.
If we are to finish on time, we need two more people.
She was to have started on Monday, but she fell ill.
It was planned, but it didn't happen.

Should for surprise and opinion

After words that show surprise, a reaction or an opinion (strange, odd, funny, a shame, surprised), should + base form can introduce the event. It is optional and a little formal.