Auxiliary Verbs: shall and will
Auxiliary verbs: shall and will
Shall and will are both auxiliary verbs used in English grammar to indicate the future tense.
However, they have slightly different meanings and uses.
“Shall”:
Shall is used with I and we to indicate a future action that is a promise or an intention.
For example: I shall arrive at the airport at 5 p.m.
We shall discuss this matter at our next meeting.
“Will”:
Will is used with you, he, she, it, and they to indicate a future action that is a promise, an intention, or a prediction.
For example, You will receive your package tomorrow.
He will go to the store later today.
They will probably have finished the project by Friday.
“Shall” for suggestion and offers:
Shall is also used in questions to make a suggestion or offers.
For example: Shall we go for a walk?
Shall I help you with your bags?
“Will” for offering assistance
Will can be used in questions to ask for or offer assistance.
For example: Will you help me with this project?
Will you pass me the salt, please?
It’s worth noting that these guidelines are not always strict, and there are some cases where shall and will can be used interchangeably.
Negative Sentences:
To form a negative sentence with shall or will, add not after the auxiliary verb:
I shall not attend the meeting tomorrow.
He will not be home for dinner tonight.
In informal English, we can also use the contracted form won’t for will not:
We won’t be late for the concert.
Question Sentences:
To form a question sentence with shall or will, invert the subject and the auxiliary verb:
Shall we go to the beach tomorrow?
Will you join us for dinner tonight?
“Shall” for suggestions, offers, and requests:
In formal English, we can also use shall to form a question sentence for suggestions, offers, and requests:
Shall I close the window?
Shall we dance?
“Will” for willingness or intention to action:
We can also use will in questions to ask about someone’s willingness or intention to do something:
Will you help me with this project?
Will she come to the party tonight?
Auxiliary Verbs: shall and will