Will vs shall in English
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Sign up for freeThis chapter will discuss the difference between the English verbs 'will' and 'shall'. These verbs are always used together with another verb.
Lesson outline
HideUse of shall and will
'Shall' and 'will' are two English modal verbs. Both can be used for the future tense in English.
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Leonora D. 
Yeferson M. 
Hale Ozen A. 
Sonia L. 
Rodrigo A. 
Beverly U.
Joanna S. 
Sax M.
Maria S. 
When to use will
The auxiliary verb 'will' is used to form the future tense. It can express a determination, interrogative questions, options or a favour.
| Subject | Affirmative | Negative | Interrogative |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | will ... | will not ... | Will I ...? |
| You | will ... | will not ... | Will you ...? |
| He, she, it | will ... | will not ... | Will he, she, it ...? |
| We | will ... | will not ... | Will we ...? |
| You | will ... | will not ... | Will you ...? |
| They | will ... | will not ... | Will they ...? |
The negative form of 'will', can also be shortened to 'won't'. For example, I won't go to Spain this Summer.
Examples:
- I will learn Spanish when I am in Spain.
- Will you have time to practice the presentation before the deadline?
When to use shall
The verb 'shall' is used to make a suggestion or give advice. The verb 'shall' is used in a formal way.
Examples:
- I'm tired. Shall we go home?
- I shall be there by 9 o'clock.
The verb 'shall' can only be used with the personal pronouns 'I' and 'we' when making a suggestion.