what are the differences in the usage of will & shall?
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Simply put, “shall” connotes a command or other imperative, while “will” simply refers to a future event, action, etc.
If I say, “I will go shopping tomorrow,” I am simply stating that I expect a shopping trip to occur.
If I say, “You shall go shopping tomorrow,” I am giving a command.
Another common use of shall is in legal situations, again in the sense of a command: “The defendant shall pay the plaintiff the amout of twenty dollars.”
A clearer distinction exists when the two words are used in questions.
“Shall I go shopping?” has the sense of “Should I go shopping?”
“Will you go shopping?” has the sense of “Do you plan to go shopping?” or “Do you agree to go shopping?” depending on the context.
will gives you a definite. if you don’t fulfill it, you’re going against your word and people are likely to lose their trust in you. eg, i will go to school tomorrow (no options, i WILL go.)
or i will buy breakfast tomorrow. it is your own willpower and is a very strong word.
shall gives you an option. eg, i shall go to the post office tomorrow provided it doesn’t rain (most likely, But may not). or i shall accompany you to the party tomorrow if i have the time (most likely, But there’s the option not to too).
got it? 😀
To understand this sentence you can change ‘and’ to ‘if’.
‘I shall drown if nobody will save me’.
‘I will drown and nobody shall save me’.
This means it is my intention to drown myself and I don’t want anybody to try to save me.