Is this correct: "Would it drop below 21 degrees today?" [closed]

Solution 1:

In normal use without any introduction "will" is the normal word. This is because "would" is the used in second and third conditional sentences and requires the description of a hypothetical, unreal, situation to occur that would make the outcome possible.

For example "If that cold front moved eastward would it drop below 21 degrees today?"

Notice, though, that the Second Conditional requires the unreal situation to be expressed using the simple past tense (if that cold front moved eastward). Similarly the Third Conditional requires the unreal situation to be expressed using the past perfect tense and the conditional outcome also to be in the past (if that cold front had moved eastward would it have dropped below 21 degrees today?)

If the First Conditional is used then the hypothetical situation is expressed in the present tense and will is used to express the outcome (if that cold front moves eastward will it drop below 21 degrees today?)

Without the hypothetical situation and the word "if" being included in the sentence then "will" is used anyway. (Will it drop below 21 degrees today?)

Note that the Conditional form does not need the hypothetical situation and the word "if" to appear at the start of the sentence ("Would it drop below 21 degrees today if that cold front moved eastward" is perfectly acceptable)