Will & Shall
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Form
Will and Shall are modal verbs.
Modal verbs follow a fundamental structure of Subject + Modal + Infinitive
Modal verbs always come first. Modal verbs do not adjust for Past, present or Future.
Will is a more modern version of the slightly old fashioned word Shall. Because of this, some textbooks and teachers describe Shall as more formal than Will. It is more accurate to describe Shall as emphatic language. In the spoken form we normally contract both to 'll so they sound and look the same.
Function
We use Will or Shall + INF to:
announce a decision for an action in the future or make a prediction about the future
If the cinema is closed what will you do?
I will have a party on Saturday instead!
announce a decision for an action in the future or make a prediction about the future
We shall need a new car next year
state facts about the future
You will have your birthday next month
Shall with I & We
Shall can be used instead of Will in statements with I & We. It is often considered more formal but can also be treated as more emphatic because it is not used as often as Will :
We shall always remember our time in Paris
Shall can be used with I & We in questions used to make suggestions about the future :
Shall we book a table for dinner?
Related Topics
The Fundamental future forms in Englsh
Will, be going to & the present continuous
Future actions & intentions
Predictions about the future
Further expressions to talk about the future
Be to/Be due to/Be about to/Be on the point of