Comments on: Shall and Will

By: ivo

ivo — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:41:46 +0000

While studying English, I was told that the usage of “Shall” is preferable in case of suggestion or consideration.. For example: “Shall we hit the bank?”

By: Paul Kelly

Paul Kelly — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 04:07:41 +0000

“I shall drown, no one will save me” = HELP!
versus
“I will drown, no one shall save me” = Go away, i’m doing this deliberately

By: Karl Swedberg

Karl Swedberg — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 14:33:28 +0000

Thank you, Mark, for your succinct explanation! Makes sense to me.

By: Mark Spalding

Mark Spalding — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 16:22:28 +0000

When I was in school I didn’t see the shall/will issue as difficult. We had to learn a rhyme:
“I” and “we” take “shall” and “should,”
All the rest take “will” and “would.”
To reverse this prescribed order was to add emphasis. The usual order “I shall see you tomorrow” was a mere statement of fact; the reverse order, “I will see you tomorrow,” implied will or desire, suggesting that I actually looked forward to the fact.