Shall or Will

Shall or Will

Shall and will are helping verbs and both indicate the future tense.

Traditionally, the standard rule for the use of shall is to be used with first person pronouns i.e. I and we, while will is used with the second and third person pronouns i.e. you, she, he, it, and they.

E.g.

I shall come tomorrow

Or, They will have eaten their lunch by now.

On the other hand, will expresses a definite determination to do something and the usage is reversed i.e. will is used with the first person, and shall with the second and third.

E.g.

After a long tiring day, I will definitely relax at home and not go out.

Or, They shall play football, not cricket.

Also, in the simple future tense, shall must be used in the first person and will in the second and third persons.

E.g. I shall dance on the stage this evening.

Or, You will definitely succeed if you work hard.

Test your understanding - Choose the correct sentence from the pair of sentences given below

1.
a. You will become a good singer if you practice regularly.
b. You shall become a good singer if you practice regularly.

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2.
a. They will have finished the meeting by 6pm. Then we can go home.
b. They shall have finished the meeting by 6pm. Then we can go home.

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3.
a. He will definitely go to see the new movie, this Friday, after work.
b. He shall definitely go to see the new movie, this Friday, after work.

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4.
a. Either she or her mother will be coming this Sunday to help with the preparation for the party.
b. Either she or her mother shall be coming this Sunday to help with the preparation for the party.

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5.
a. I shall come and assist you in completing your project quickly.
b. I will come and assist you in completing your project quickly.

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