In English, you will often hear ‘shall’ and ‘will’ used interchangeably, but there is a correct usage for each one. How do you know which of these confusing words to use when you are writing or speaking? Keep reading and we shall explain all you need to know about shall vs will!
Note that you may not hear ‘shall’ used much in everyday conversation, especially in American English, as people tend to default to using ‘will’ when speaking casually.
However, it’s still good to know the difference between will and shall for more formal contexts and in British English, so you can be confident you are using them appropriately.
What’s the difference between will and shall?
In order to understand when you should use shall or will, we need to look at some similarities and differences between these verbs.
1. Shall and will are both verbs used in future tenses
‘Will’ and ‘shall’ are considered helping verbs, also called auxiliary verbs, which means that they always accompany another verb. They are used to form future tenses to talk about something that has not yet happened.
Both ‘shall’ and ‘will’ are used to express determination, intent, or certainty. For example:
- She will meet us at the bar tonight.
- If it rains, we shall need an umbrella.
- They will be doing their homework all afternoon.
- I shall be working until 3pm. Please do not disturb me.
- James will come and fix our dishwasher on Friday.
See also: What’s the difference between will and going to?
2. Both will and shall are contracted as ‘ll
Word contractions are formed when we join two words together to make one, omitting some letters and adding an apostrophe.
Both shall and will can be contracted, and both appear as ‘‘ll‘ in contractions. This means it is impossible to know whether the writer was contracting shall or will in their mind.
For example:
- I’ll see you tomorrow. (I will or I shall)
- We’ll wash the dishes after the meal. (We will or we shall)
- He’ll be there at 2pm. (He will or he shall)
3. Use ‘shall’ in the first-person point of view (traditionally)
Traditionally, ‘shall’ is used instead of ‘will’ when forming a first-person statement using the subject pronouns ‘I’ or ‘we’. Here are a few examples to demonstrate:
- I shall drive to the beach today.
- We shall need to pack a lunch for the trip.
- I shall not work on Sunday this week.
In each of these examples, the subject of the sentence is in the first person – I or we – which is why we use ‘shall’ in each one.
Occasionally, you might see one of these helping verbs alone when the rest of the verb is understood, like in these examples:
- I said that I would come over and I shall. (I shall come)
- We want to eat lunch and so we shall. (We shall eat)
Do be aware that the use of ‘shall’ is declining, especially in American English. You can see from the chart below that in the early 1800s, ‘shall’ was used just as much as ‘will’. Now, it is barely used at all.
Source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
So, in reality, most people now use ‘will’ to form first-person statements, even though ‘shall’ is correct too.
4. Use ‘will’ in the second and third person
When you are not using the first person point of view and you are still speaking of the future, you should always choose ‘will’ rather than ‘shall.’ This means that if your subject is second person (you) or third person (he/she/it or they), use ‘will’ in your sentence. It also applies to proper nouns, objects, animals, and so on.
Here are some examples to show what we mean:
- Tomorrow it will rain.
- I wonder when he will fall asleep.
- The party starts at 3 so I’m sure they will arrive soon.
- Brian will be doing the presentation first this morning.
- It is raining so Shelby will need to bring an umbrella.
- The dog will run away if you let him off his leash.
- Jim, Pam, and Michael will meet in the conference room at 12 o’clock.
- This roof will collapse if it isn’t fixed soon.
Nuances of shall and will in British English
‘Shall’ is more alive in British English than in American English, and there is one notable nuance regarding the use of will and shall that you should be aware of.
If you wish to show that something will happen out of obligation or a sense of duty, you can reverse the standard usage of shall and will (as described above) to emphasize the importance of the matter. For example:
- I will be there as promised.
- She shall be held responsible for her actions.
- The tenant shall return the keys by 10am on the date of departure.
With added emphasis when speaking, this can be quite effective. When writing, this nuance will probably be overlooked by the reader – so don’t overthink it.
The third sentence above is a good example of the way ‘shall’ is used in contracts and other legal documents to emphasize obligation.
This is just one of the grammar differences between American and British English that it’s good to be aware of.
Using shall vs will in questions, offers and suggestions
‘Shall’ is more actively used when posing questions in the first person. In this case, choosing ‘shall’ over ‘will’ presents the question as an offer or suggestion rather than a request for information.
Here are some examples where ‘will’ is used to request information:
- Will we have a picnic at the park?
- What time will we arrive?
- Will I have to wear a suit?
- Who will he be bringing as a guest?
- When will they confirm the details?
And here are some example sentences where ‘shall’ is used to make an offer or suggestion, or to elicit suggestions:
- Shall we have a picnic at the park? (making a suggestion)
- Shall I open a window? (making an offer)
- Shall I bring some sandwiches? (making an offer)
- What shall we do today? (eliciting suggestions)
- What shall I wear tonight? (eliciting suggestions)
Should and would follow the same rules
Although we have been looking at the difference between will and shall here, it’s worth noting that would and should can be used in the same way. For example:
- I should like an ice cream.
- He would like an ice cream.
It can also be a helpful way to avoid repetition of ‘would’ in a conditional sentence such as “I should appreciate it if you would tidy up when you have finished.”
However, as with shall and will, this distinction is fading and the use of ‘should’ in place of ‘would’ in the first person may sound rather old-fashioned, even to a Brit.
Will vs shall: Summary
Now you should know the difference between will and shall and when to use each one in your speaking and writing.
To recap, we traditionally use ‘shall’ when we are speaking in the first person future tense and we use ‘will’ when we are speaking in the second or third person.
However, this distinction between shall vs will is often not made in casual speech, especially in American English. You are quite safe using ‘will’ instead of ‘shall’ in all cases, except sometimes when making suggestions and offers in the first person.
Knowing this, you will do great in your speaking and we shall see you next time!
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