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Shall or Will?
Shall or Will?
What is the difference between "shall" and "will"?Nowadays, Americans tend not to use "shall" to form the future tense. In British English, "shall" is still used to form the future tense, particularly when the subject is "I" or "we." However, most Brits now use "will." This is a relatively new development.

This graph shows the recent decline of "shall" in British English.
Create this graph yourself using Google's Ngram Viewer.
The Difference between "Shall" and "Will"
Traditionally, there was the following distinction:- Use "shall" when the subject is "I" or "we."
- I shall use my discretion.
(traditionally)
- Use "will" when the subject is not "I" or "we."
- He will use his discretion.
(traditionally)
- Shall we discuss this matter tomorrow?
- Will they discuss this matter tomorrow?
- I will use my discretion.
- He shall use his discretion.

More about "Shall" and "Will"
The main use of the auxiliary verbs "will" and "shall" is to form the future tense. For example:- I will arrive on Tuesday.
- I shall arrive on Tuesday.
That said, it might be useful to know the traditional rules for using "will" and "shall" because you never know when you might have to showcase your grammar skills or write to an audience of grammar pedants.
The Traditional Rules for Forming the Future Tense with "Will" and "Shall"
The traditional rules for forming the future tense with "will" and "shall" are as follows:Person | Pronoun Noun | Future Tense | Example |
---|---|---|---|
1st Person Singular | I | shall | I shall be there soon. |
2nd Person Singular | You | will | You will be there soon. |
3rd Person Singular | He, She, It | will | He will be there soon. |
1st Person Plural | We | shall | We shall be there soon. |
2nd Person Plural | You | will | You will be there soon. |
3rd Person Plural | They | will | They will be there soon. |
Conveying a Sense of Importance or Duty with "Will" and "Shall"
If something is to happen in the future and you want to convey the idea that it must definitely happen (especially out of a sense of duty), then it all switches. In other words, it goes like this:Person | Pronoun Noun | Future Tense | Example |
---|---|---|---|
1st Person Singular | I | will | I will attend the meeting. |
2nd Person Singular | You | shall | You shall attend the meeting. |
3rd Person Singular | He, She, It | shall | He shall attend the meeting. |
1st Person Plural | We | will | We will attend the meeting. |
2nd Person Plural | You | shall | You shall attend the meeting. |
3rd Person Plural | They | shall | They shall attend the meeting. |
- I will guarantee your safe passage.
- You shall ask a question on recruitment at the end of the presentation.
"Shall" Is Still Used in Questions
From what you've read so far, you might be getting the idea that "shall" is on its last legs as a word. You might be thinking it's hot on the heels of "whom" to reach the word graveyard where words like "hither" and "whence" have lain to rest. However, that's not accurate. "Shall" is alive and well when it comes to questions posed in the first person (i.e., with "I" and "we"). For example:- Shall I talk in a Scottish accent during the meeting?
- What shall we talk about?
- Was that the dog? Shall I open the window?
"Will" and "Shall" in Contractions
When talking or writing informally, you might not have to worry about whether to use "shall" or "will" because the contractions are likely to be the same.Full Versions | Contraction |
---|---|
I shall I will | I'll |
You shall You will | You'll |
He/She/It shall He/She/It will | He'll / She'll / It'll |
We shall We will | We'll |
You shall You will | You'll |
They shall They will | They'll |
Interactive Exercise
Here are three randomly selected questions from a larger exercise, which can be edited, printed to create an exercise worksheet, or sent via email to friends or students.- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?