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Shall or Will?
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The Difference between "Shall" and "Will"
"Shall" and "will" are often interchangeable, but there are some nuances to consider when choosing which to use.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.)
More about "Shall" and "Will"
Here are two distinctions between "shall" and "will" that have been traditionally followed. It would be inaccurate to describe these as rules nowadays, but you can use these to sway your decision.- (1) Use "shall" when the subject is "I" or "we."
- I shall use my discretion.
(traditionally) - (2) Use "will" when the subject is not "I" or "we."
- He will use his discretion. (traditionally)
- Shall we discuss this matter tomorrow?
(Of interest, the Irish would use "will" here, not "shall.")
- Will they discuss this matter tomorrow?
- I will use my discretion.
(Traditionally, using "will" instead of "shall" provided emphasis.)
- He shall use his discretion.
(Traditionally, using "shall" instead of "will" provided emphasis.)
Got it? Take a quick test.Even 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.
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.
(If this were just the future tense (i.e., without any sense of duty attached), then, traditionally, it should read "I shall guarantee ." As it doesn't, the use of "will" could convey a sense of duty to some of your readers. However, the overwhelming majority of your readers are likely to think that you've just opted for "will" over "shall" as a way of forming the future tense. In other words, they won't give it a second thought.)
- You shall ask a question on recruitment at the end of the presentation.
(If this were just the future tense (i.e., without any sense of duty attached), then it should read "You will ask…." Again, for some of your readers, the use of "shall" could convey a sense of duty, but it won't for most.)
"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 |
Ready for the Test?
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