For example why does it sound unnatural to say “I’ll not use this for profit.”?
In: 0
Mostly because English has another contraction that’s used for the negative exclusively: won’t.
Other than that, a simple rule of thumb I’d give is to use “I will” when you’re at all trying to emphasize your commitment/desire to do the thing.
In a spoken sentence, “I’ll” has no stress at all, and the “‘ll” is purely a function word. It’ll sound like the main point of your sentence is the thing that you’ll do, not the fact that you’re reassuring the other speaker that you’re going to do it.
Another use case for “I will” is as a response if you’re asked whether you’re going to do something. “I will” can stand on its own as a sentence (or an independent clause), whereas “I’ll” cannot.
Latest Answers