Learn English – Will you not, or Will not (won’t) you

contractionsinterrogativesinversionnegationwill-shall

When asking someone questions about the future, would you ask Will you not? or Will not (won't) you?

For example, of

   1. Will you not go to school today?
   2. Will not you go to school today?
   3. Won't you go to school today?

which are grammatically correct?

It's very confusing to me.

Best Answer

This entire usage is very formal and not used in everyday speech.


  1. Will you not go to school today?

In formal use, this would probably be the most likely.


  1. Will not you go to school today?

This sounds like it's straight out of Shakespeare or Biblical texts. It's an archaic form that isn't used much any more:

You have heard, see all this; and will not you declare it? Isiah 48:6 KJV

I'm sure I've heard it in Shakespeare, too but this is what came up first.


  1. Won't you go to school today.

This one is the least formal but it's an odd combination of formal (the will you not) and informal (the contraction).


If I were going to ask someone this, I'd say:

Aren't you [planning on] going to school today?

Are is present tense because planning on is implied in the statement.

Or, if I'm asking about tomorrow, I'd say:

Are you [planning on] going to school tomorrow?

Will you go to school tomorrow?

Related Topic