Would Be Appreciated vs. Will Be Appreciated (Examples)

When trying to be polite and thank someone, do you say “Would Be Appreciated” or “Would Be Appreciated”?

We want to know if one phrase is more acceptable than the other and if we should prefer one over the other. We also want to know when to use each.

Would Be Appreciated vs. Will Be Appreciated

Both “Would Be Appreciated” and “Will Be Appreciated” are grammatically correct. They aim to express that if a request is tended to, or if a favor is done, it “Would Be Appreciated” or “Will Be Appreciated”. The expressions are mostly interchangeable and carry the same meaning.

Take a look at the examples below:

• If you were to help us tomorrow, it would be appreciated.
• Your prompt attention to the matter will be appreciated.

As you can see from the examples, both phrases mean the same thing and indicate the same intention. “Would Be Appreciated” and “Will Be Appreciated” are synonyms.

There is, however, a difference in tone and in how assertive each form can be. Let’s look into each separately, to make sense of that difference.

Would Be Appreciated

“Would Be Appreciated” is the most polished, formal of the two phrases. Although “Will Be Appreciated” and “Would Be Appreciated” have the same meaning, the latter works better with more formal audiences. 

Often, when asking for a favor, a person doesn’t want to sound too assertive, or as if they were imposing. A softer message may help convey that message. “Would Be Appreciated” brings that subtle tone to the sentence.

Let’s see some examples:

1. Your support in the campaign would be appreciated.
2. I called Harry and told him that his help would be appreciated.
3. Mary knows that her assistance in your case would be appreciated.
4. My boss told me my help in the project would be appreciated.
5. Can you help me clean the house? It would be appreciated.

As you can see in the examples, “Would Be Appreciated” isn’t always formal. It’s just a more subtle, polite way to indicate your appreciation.

Will Be Appreciated

“Will Be Appreciated” means the same as “Would Be Appreciated”. However, “Will Be Appreciated” either sounds more assertive and direct or indicates that an action in the future “Will Be Appreciated” when it takes place.

Take a look at the examples below:

1. Your help will be appreciated, I’m sure!
2. Can you help Dina move on Saturday? I’m sure it’ll be appreciated by her.
3. John promised to help me cook today, and he’ll be appreciated for it
4. I’ll start working with a tutor because any help with my schoolwork will be appreciated.
5. The team’s effort will be appreciated by the company, you can rest assured.

“Will Be Appreciated” sounds more direct than “Would Be Appreciated”. It works just fine, but you have to weigh your options depending on the profile of the audience you need to address.

Also, if discussing an event that will take place in the future, make sure to use “Will Be Appreciated”, so that your audience understands you’re talking about something that’s yet to happen.

Which Is Used the Most?

Which one of those forms is used more often, “Would Be Appreciated” or “Will Be Appreciated”? Take a look at the graph from Google Ngram Viewer below, to find out.

This is a very interesting graph, indeed. Over the years, the use for both “Would Be Appreciated” and “Will Be Appreciated” has changed a lot. Two things caught up our attention when looking at the graph.

First, the use of both phrases has dropped considerably. “Will Be Appreciated” had a more intense drop, but still, it happened for both.

Second, as of now, both phrases are used almost the same. There’s no clear favorite at this point, between “Would Be Appreciated” and “Will Be Appreciated”. We’ll have to continue looking at the graph if we want to know what will happen next.

Final Thoughts

Both “Would Be Appreciated” and “Will Be Appreciated” are grammatically correct. They are synonyms and can interchange. However, there’s a difference in tone. Use “Would Be Appreciated” when you want to sound polite and polished. Use “Will Be Appreciated” when trying to be direct, and when referring to future events.