| Affirmative form | Negative form | Interrogative form |
|---|---|---|
| I shall (I'll) | I shall not (shan’t) | Shall I not (shan’t I)? |
| he will (he'll) | he won't (won't) | Will he not (won’t he)? |
| she will (she'll) | she will not (won’t) | Will she not (won’t she)? |
| we shall (we'll) | we shall not (shan’t) | Shall we not(shan’t we)? |
| you will (you'll) | you won't (won't) | Will you not (won’t you)? |
| they will (they'll) | they will not (won’t) | Will they not (won’t they)? |
Use
The verb shall in English is used:
- 1. As an auxiliary verb in combination with an infinitive without the particle to to form the future tense in the 1st person singular and plural.
I shall go to the cinema. I will go to the cinema.
We shall translate this text tomorrow. We will translate this text tomorrow.
Note. There is a tendency to use will instead of shall with the first person.
I will be busy tonight. I'll be busy tonight.
We will have an English lesson tomorrow. We will have an English lesson tomorrow.
- 2. As a modal verb in the following cases:
a) in the 2nd person in a question, if an answer is expected in the future tense, to clarify the desire of the person to whom the question is addressed.
Shall do you work tomorrow? - Will you work tomorrow? -
Yes, I shall. (No, I shan’t.) Yes, I’m working. (No, I do not work.)
b) with the 2nd and 3rd person singular and plural to express the speaker’s firm intention.
You shall have a doll. You will have a doll.
Not shan't come here. He won't come here. (I will not let.)
c) with the 2nd and 3rd persons to express orders.
Each competitor shall wear a number.
Each participant in the competition must have a number.
Members shall enter the names of their guests in the book.
Members (of the club) must enter the names of their guests in the book.
Please note:
IN colloquial speech with the 1st person singular and plural, will is often used instead of shall, which emphasizes desire and intention.
d) in questions in the 1st and 3rd person singular and plural to receive instructions, orders, advice or suggestions.
Shall I wait for you? Should I wait for you?
Shall I help you to pack the things? Should I help you pack your things?
Shall we meet at the theater? Meet me at the theater?
Shall he begin to read? Should I start reading to him?
Where shall we put this? Where do we put it?
Which one shall I buy? Which (tie, suit, etc.) should I buy?
The verb will in English is used:
- 1. As an auxiliary verb in combination with an infinitive without the particle to to form the future tense with the 2nd and 3rd person singular and plural.
They will go on an excursion on Sunday.
They will go on an excursion on Sunday.
- 2. As an auxiliary verb with the 1st person singular and plural instead of shall.
We will go there at 5 o'clock.
We will go there at 5 o'clock.
- 3. B interrogative form in the 2nd person to express a polite request, offer, invitation.
Will you type this, please. Will you print this? (Please print this. Print this, please.)
Will you give him this letter? Will you give him this letter? (Give him this letter, please.)
Will anyone who witnessed this accident please telephone the nearest militia station. Anyone who witnessed this incident is asked to call the nearest police station.
Will you come to tea tomorrow? Will you come for tea tomorrow? (Come for tea tomorrow, please.)
Will you have some more tea? Would you like some more tea?
- 4. As a modal verb in the following cases:
a) in the 1st person singular and plural to express desire, intention, determination.
I will go with you on an excursion. I'll go on a tour with you (I really want to).
We will work tomorrow till eight o'clock. We will work until eight o'clock tomorrow (at our own request).
b) in the 2nd and 3rd person singular and plural to express orders, obligations (more often used in schools or military institutions).
You will stay home tonight. You'll stay home tonight.
All boys will attend roll-call at 9 o’ clock. All boys must report for roll call at 9 o'clock.
c) in a negative form to express reluctance, refusal to fulfill a request, resistance to human efforts (if we are talking about inanimate objects).
Not won't go to the director and talk with him. He doesn't want to go to the director and talk to him.
The pen won't write. The pen doesn't write.
The door won't open. The door doesn't open.
Remember general rule usages of shall and will:
SHALL is used in all persons to express an action that occurs under the influence external influence(order, instructions, etc.).
WILL is used in all persons to express an action that occurs under the influence of an internal impulse.
Hello, friends! Well, you didn’t think that with the future tense and the verbs will/shall everything would be so simple? It is certainly simpler than higher mathematics (although it depends on you), but it’s worth paying attention to some.
Unit 22, English Grammar in Use, R. Murphy
Will/Shall 2
If you prefer to perceive audio/video material, then watch the video lesson on unit 22 English Grammar in Use, blue Murphy:
Before moving on to this lesson, make sure you understand the lesson.
Examples
Diane is working next week. (not Diane will work) - Diane is working next week.
Are you going to watch television this evening? (not Will you watch) - Are you planning to watch TV this evening?
Typically, when we talk about the future, we are much more likely to talk about what *probably/may/probably* will happen, rather than something that is planned and 100% likely to happen. People are not robots; they cannot plan the future down to the smallest detail.
Situation:
Kate is doing an exam next week. Chris and Joe are talking about it. — Katya is going to the exam next week. Chris and Joe talk about it.
Chris: Do you think kate will pass the exam? — Do you think Katya will pass the exam?
Joe: Yes, she’ll pass easily. - Yes Easy!
She’ll pass does not mean that “she decided to pass the exam easily.” Joe talks about his assumptions on this score.
When we make a guess about the future, we use will/won't in a sentence. (I hope you haven’t forgotten that the place of these verbs is before the predicate and after the subject)
Examples
□ Jill has been away a long time. When she returns, she’ll find a lot of changes here. — Jill was leaving for for a long time. When she returns, she will find many changes.
□ ‘Where will you be this rime next year?’ ‘I’ll be in Japan.’ - Where will you be at this time in a year? - I'll be in China.
□ That plate is hot. If you touch it, you'll burn yourself. — The plate is hot. If you touch her, you will get burned.
□ Tom won't pass the exam. He hasn’t studied hard enough. — Tom won't pass the exam. He didn't study much.
□ When will you get your exam results? — When do you think the exam results will be out?
We often use the Future Simple (and therefore the verbs will/won’t) with the following words:
probably - probably I'll probably be home late.
I expect - I suspect I haven't seen Carol today. I suspect she will call in the evening.
I'm sure - I'm sure Don't worry about the exam. I'm sure you'll pass it.
I think - I think Do you think Sarah will like our gift?
I don’t think - I don’t think I don't think the exam will be difficult.
I wonder - I'm interested I wonder what will happen.
After the statement I hope (I hope) we usually use the present (rules conditional offers), but will can also be used.
Examples
I hope, kate passes (will pass) the exam. — I hope Katya will pass the exam.
I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow. — I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.
Usually we use future simple to talk about future events, but sometimes the form will is also used to talk about the present. In this case, will already works as a modal verb and conveys additional meaning. In this case, an assumption about the present.
Don't phone Ann. She'll be busy. - Don't call Anya now. She's busy. (=she will be busy at this moment, i.e. now)
I shall/We shall
Remember that shall is usually used with I and WE. In modern grammar shall is not used for the future. Therefore, use the option I will/We will.
In spoken English the short form I'll/we'll is used
We'll probably go to Scotland. — We'll probably go to Scotland.
Negative form with the word shall - shall not or shan't
I shan’t (won’t) be here tomorrow. - I won't be here tomorrow.
Once again, do not use shall with the pronouns he/she/it/you/they and their derivatives (words that can be replaced by these pronouns, such as names). You may encounter the variant shall after these pronouns (remember the famous “You shall not pass!” from The Lord of the Rings.) But this will only be literary device to convey the color of the characters’ speech.
Why English grammar so confusing? Some modal and auxiliary verbs are the same in form, but different in meaning. Was it really impossible to come up with a new word for modal verb? But then you would say that you have to learn and remember a lot. How can we clearly draw a line of demarcation between these two grammatical phenomena?
If you have already become familiar with all tenses, then you know very well what shall and should represent. Thus, the first of them, in combination with the infinitive, conveys actions in the future, and the second acts as an assistant in the subjunctive mood or Future in the Past. But as a modal verb, shall and should have their own meaning and add “spice” to the sentence. How to distinguish a modal verb from an auxiliary verb? Let's look at each of them separately.
Uses of the modal verb shall
One way or another, in every sentence with this verb there is a connotation of the future. As an auxiliary, it gradually fades into oblivion, because the British tend to use will with all persons, which is good news. (Let me remind you that according to the rule of forming the future tense, shall has been used with the subjects I and we for many centuries). That is why we can increasingly see shall with a modal meaning.
1.Interrogative sentences with I and We + shall pass the value instructions, orders, sometimes even instructions. In other words, we can conditionally express it like this: should we do this or not? should or shouldn't? With this meaning the first meaning of modality is conveyed.
Shall I pay for the dinner? - Should I pay for lunch?
Shall we open our books? — Open the books?
2. In affirmative and negative sentences with the 2nd and 3rd person conveys shade Opromises, threats, orders, warnings: shall and shan’t.
You shall be punished for the broken vase. - You will be punished for breaking the vase.
They shall fail in their exams. - They will fail their exams.
3. B business correspondence with meaning "must", "must be".
One of the Party of this Contract shall notify the other Party on its intention to cancel. — One of the parties to this agreement is obliged to notify the other of its intention to terminate.
Uses of the modal verb should
As an auxiliary verb should does not carry any lexical meaning, and therefore cannot be translated. As a modal it has several situations in which it must be used.
The local government should do something with the rubbish. — The local government should definitely do something about the garbage. (should + do + smth - absolutely necessary)
You shouldn't smoke so much. -You shouldn't smoke so much.
2. Disapproval, reproach used should or shouldn't with such a meaning as - it should, it would be necessary, it would be necessary. Often used with the perfect infinitive to convey a past action that was not performed. In turn, the negative form indicates an unwanted action has been performed.
I am feeling sick. I shouldn't have eaten much ice-cream. - I feel bad. (I feel sick). I shouldn't have eaten so much ice cream.
You should have visit him. “You should have visited him.”
3. Like emotional coloring should is used in interrogative sentences with special words how/why. The translation of such questions gives a nuance surprise, indignation: for what, why, how they are, and what they are about - it all depends on the situation, on the semantic verb.
How should he know? - How would he know?
Why should we leave? - Why do we have to leave? (Why on earth would we leave?)
Sometimes it is necessary to transfer past, current or future actions using should. How to do this if there is no second form. Using the infinitive.
should + Continuous Infinitive (action at the time of conversation)
should + Perfect Infinitive (past action)
should + Indefinite Infinitive (present and future tense)
These children shouldn’t be swimming now. They should be at school. “These children shouldn’t be swimming now.” They should be at school.
The wedding was great. You should have come. — The wedding was great. You should have come.
I shouldn't eat so much chocolate. — I shouldn't eat so much chocolate.
Comparison
- The verb should is often confused with must. The main difference is emotional advice: should or must.
- ought to is very close in meaning to should, but the difference is that the first is more used with the concept “ moral duty“, whether you want it or not, it must be done, so you can benefit society. And should acts more as a wish, advice.
You should clean your car. — You must wash the car.
You must take your driving license with when you are driving a car. — You must (have to) take your license with you when you drive a car.
He ought to be more careful at the lessons. — He should (He should) be more attentive in class.
He shouldn't go out so often. “He shouldn’t go out for walks so often.”
The modal verb shall (should) is not difficult to remember. Remember that the first in most cases conveys instructions or a threat, and the second conveys a wish, advice or reproach. All the rules and features of use will fit tightly and reliably into your head with the help of exercises, tests, and various tasks.
Modal verb shall used to express the future tense with pronouns I And we. It is also often used in questions with an action sentence (for example: Shall are we going? - Let's go to?). Shall often used to express a categorical promise. In formal English usage verb shall to express the future tense often has a connotation of inevitability or predestination. Shall much more commonly used in British English. In American English other forms are preferred, although sometimes shall is still used in action sentences or in formal speech.
For example:
Shall I help you?
Help to you? ( Expresses an action proposal.)
I shall never forget where I came from.
I I will never forget, where I'm from. ( Expresses a categorical promise.)
He shall become our next king.
He will become our next king. ( Expresses predestination.)
I'm afraid Mr. Smith shall become our new director.
I'm afraid Mr. Smith will become our new director. ( Expresses inevitability.)
Other examples of the use of the modal verb shall
| Usage | Affirmative forms | Negative forms | Synonyms |
| shall to express the future tense (Used in British English.) |
I shall be replaced by someone from the New York office. Me will replace man from the New York office. I shall be there by 8:00. |
I shall not be replaced after all. It turns out I'm nobody will not replace. I shall not be there. I have a previous obligation. |
will |
| shall in the meaning of an action sentence |
Shall we begin dinner? Let's get started lunch? Shall we move into the living room? |
should | |
| shall in the meaning of promise (Used in British English.) |
I shall take care of everything for you. I'm talking about everything I'll take care of it for you. I shall make the travel arrangements. There's no need to worry. |
I shall never forget you. I you I will never forget. I shall never give up the fight for freedom. |
will |
| shall in the sense of inevitability (Used in British English.) |
Man shall explore the distant regions of the universe. Human will explore far corners of space. We shall overcome oppression. |
Man shall never give up the exploration of the universe. Human will never stop explore space. He shall not be held back. |
Shall and will are auxiliary verbs with which we express the future tense in English language. However, is everything as simple as it seems? Yes, it's simple, you just need to figure it out. The main thing is to always remember: in English there are no verbs that have only one meaning.
Shall/will: rule
To construct a sentence in the future tense, you need to follow the correct word order: subject + auxiliary verb (will) + regular verb + everything else. Example: “I will eat everything I see” - “I will eat everything I see.”
This is the basic rule about shall/will. It is worth noting that in Russian we rarely say “I will (eat)” - we use perfect view verb. In English there is no such possibility, since it is an analytical language - its speakers use auxiliary verbs. In order to understand how the future tense works in English, you just need to remember that we also have something similar, just rarely used.
Below is the official rule about will/shall in the table:
Shall is a relic of the past
Previously, we used shall with the pronouns “I” and “we”. This was how it had to be done, according to official rules. Over time, however, shall fell completely out of use, and we now use both “I” and “we” with “will.”
Shall is now a relic of the past. If we want to sound dark and medieval in Shakespearean style, then we can say: “I shall come back” - something like - “I deign to return.”
Will: main job
The verb will did the main work. With its help we build the future tense.
“I will be back,” says the Terminator, threatening that he will return. Or rather, he abbreviates: “I"ll be back,” but under the apostrophe and two “l” lies will.
However, will is not only used to indicate time.
Will: other functions
There is such a novel “All the King's Men” - about a tough, terrible politician who destroyed everyone in his path, because he looked into the future, had strong will and was angry and tough-tempered. His name, at first glance, was cheerful and unobtrusive - Willie.
Do you know why Willie? Because his name is the power of the verb Will.
If you think about this verb, you can think of the politician Willie, because he is just as powerful, just as deceptive. Using his example, you can understand some of the functions of this multilateral verb.
For example:
- Will expresses the future tense. Politician Willie looks to the future, planning his cruelties. spontaneity, looking forward. Example: “I will destroy my enemies!” - “I will destroy my enemies!”
- Will expresses pretentious, arrogant (almost political) politeness. Example: “I am the Boss, if you will.” - “I am the Master here, if you wish.”
- Denial of Will or negative Will means stubbornness: it cannot be budged either in the present or in the future. Example: “The door won’t open, I can’t get in!” - “The door doesn’t open, I can’t get in!”
- Will is not only a verb, it is also a noun - like the Russian “will”. Verb and noun complement each other. Example: “I did it of my own free will.” - “I did it of my own free will, no one forced me.”
- The noun will can give rise to another variation of the verb will - not directed towards the future, but radiating power and desire. This option is used very rarely. Example: “Because I will it.” - “Because I wish it so.”
- Will is like an order from politician Willy. Example: “You will do that because I want it” - “You will do this because I want it.”
- There is also some kind of hypocrisy in will, a hidden order disguised as a question - a purely political move. Example: “Stop that, will you?” - "May be enough?"
This is how you can analyze the verb will using examples, and this way it is easier to understand, since his nature is truly versatile.
We have examined the rule about shall/will, now let's move on to other forms of these verbs. New forms - new shades of meaning that will make your speech richer and more varied.
Could/Should/Would: rules
Could/should/would are not only past tense forms of can/shall/will.
In fact, only can/could are forms of the present and past. Example: "I can swim." - “I could swim when I was a child.”
Also used for in we do not agree on tenses: one part can be used in the past, the other in the future. In English, all parts must be in the same tense:
“I said I could explain everything about will/shall but I lied.” - “I said I could explain everything about will/shall, but I lied.”
Shall in the form should does not acquire a connotation of action in the past - it becomes a modal verb of obligation. Meaning - strong advice. Example: “You should move, you are in my way.” - “As soon as you move, you are on my way.”
Would is the past tense form of the future tense verb will. This in itself is strange - hence the conclusion - it is unrealistic. Would is often used for subjunctive mood. Example: “If I were you, I would totally go for it.” - “If I were you, I would definitely do it!”
An unreal situation is described here, and would plays the role of an unreal future.
In addition, would is used to coordinate times in indirect speech. Example: “He said he would kill for me.” - “He said that he would kill for me.”