The Difference Between “will” and “shall”

Reader Eric wonders about the uses of will and shall.

When do you use “will” and “shall?” I know that [they] mean the same thing, but I would like to know when to use them in the correct grammatical sense.

In modern English will and shall are helping verbs. They are used with other verbs, but lack conjugations of their own.

Both are signs of the future tense.

The old Walsh English Handbook that I used in high school gives this rule for forming the future:

Use shall in the first person and will in the second and third persons for the simple future tense:
I shall sing this afternoon.
You will succeed.
He will stay at home.

My observations suggest that shall is rarely used by American speakers.

The two words existed as separate verbs in Old English, the form of English spoken from 450-1150 C.E.

The verb willan meant “wish, be willing, be about to.”

The verb sculan (pronounced [shu-lan], had the meanings “be obliged to, have to, must, be destined to, be supposed to.”

In modern usage traces of the old meanings persist for speakers who use both forms.

Will can imply volition or intention, while shall can imply necessity:

I will scale Mount Everest. (”and no one can stop me!”)

You shall take the garbage out before you do anything else. (”You have no choice, Junior!”)

A second element enters into the use of shall and will.

As a matter of courtesy, a difference exists according to whether the verb is used with a first or second person subject. Which to use depends upon the relationship between speakers.

Parents, teachers, employers, and staff sergeants are within their rights to tell someone “You shall complete this assignment by 9 p.m.” Such a construction offers no alternative. It is the same as saying “You must complete this assignment.”

In speaking to an equal, however, the choice is left up to the other person:

I shall drive to Tulsa today. You will follow on Tuesday. (It’s still up to you.)

Here’s a frequently quoted joke that illustrates the consequences of using shall and will incorrectly:

A foreign tourist was swimming in an English lake. Taken by cramps, he began to sink. He called out for help:
“Attention! Attention! I will drown and no one shall save me!”
Many people were within earshot, but, being well-brought up Englishmen and women, they honored his wishes and permitted him to drown.

All of which is the short answer to Eric’s question. For the long answer, take a look at Fowler (Modern English Usage) and the OED.

By the way, the verb will in the sense of “bequeath” derives from the noun will in the sense of “wish.” A will expresses the wishes of the person who writes it. The verb will (bequeath) does possess a complete conjugation.

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Maeve on March 21, 2008 | Filed Under Grammar

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20 Responses to “The Difference Between “will” and “shall””

Brad K. on March 21st, 2008 12:07 pm

A previous project set out in the contract the meaning of will and shall when used in formal (reviewed and signed off) project requirements.

When encountered in formal software requirements, ’shall’ means the contract isn’t complete until the requirement is met; ‘will’ means you have to justify not meeting the requirement, but it won’t hold up the product.

‘Should’ or ‘may’ gives lattitude - authorization to meet the requirement

The garage door remote opener shall cause the garage door to open and close on activation. The opener shall operate remote to the door. The remote opener will perform all functions when within 150 feet of the door. The remote opener may operate the door when aimed within 30 degrees of the center of the door, for intuitive operation.
Bill Womack - Words for Writers on March 21st, 2008 12:58 pm

And who can forget the compelling form of shall most of us are familiar with, “thou shalt not…” It illustrates the intent of shall quite clearly.
Brett McKay on March 21st, 2008 2:33 pm

We were just talking about this in my legal drafting class. In our book, using “shall” creates a legal duty, while using “will” doesn’t.
bill on March 21st, 2008 6:18 pm

Makes sense: “will” relating to, well, one’s will. However, I had a slightly different take (had because now I’m not sure ).

My assumption was that “shall” implies one is being compelled to do whatever, while “will” simply states a fact. As in… “I will go to the store” states what I’m going to do and “you shall go to the store” says that you had better go to the store–or else.

So “I shall drive to Tulsa today. You will follow on Tuesday” sounds to me like like I am being compelled to drive to Tulsa, perhaps by contract or at gunpoint, while you, as a matter of fact, will follow.
Benjamin Baxter on March 21st, 2008 10:31 pm

Constitutions and Bylaws of one of my organizations switch back and forth between “will” and “shall” no matter that there’s a distinction between them.

For next time, I shall keep this in mind.
caothanh on March 22nd, 2008 2:14 am

I’d like to know the use of two words: house and home
Thanks
Neil Kosterman on March 22nd, 2008 1:45 pm

While touched on when mentioning, “…while shall can imply necessity…,” you and your readers may be interested to know that the difference between the two is forced when describing “standards” for product performance in the medical field. My earliest experiences were in the early- to mid-70s, wherein the standards writers DEFINED the difference such that “shall = you must” and “will = you should or you may.”
Maeve on March 22nd, 2008 2:06 pm

Neil,
Your comment, along with those of Brad and Brett, provides the very interesting information that the distinction between “shall” and “will” is of great importance in specialized areas such as medicine, law, and product design.

Thanks.
Maeve on March 22nd, 2008 2:07 pm

Bill,
In ordinary speech, “I shall” can’t imply external compulsion since the speaker is the one doing the “shalling.”
silly on March 24th, 2008 9:40 am

>can anyone tell me the difference between for and of?
Maeve on March 24th, 2008 2:33 pm

silly,
Could you give me an example of a construction in which you would have difficulty deciding whether to use “for” or “of”?
Brad K. on March 24th, 2008 3:43 pm

For is used for many things - in the place of; in favour of; on account of; in the direction of; with respect to; in respect of; by reason of; appropriate or adapted to, or in reference to; beneficial to; in quest of; notwithstanding, in spite of; in recompense of; during; in the character of; to the extent of. “For” is usually a preposition.

“Of” is another preposition - from; from among; out from; belonging to; among; proceeding or derived from; made from, having for material; having or characterized by; in the manner that characterizes; with respect to; owing to; with; over; concerning; during; by; on; in; specified as; constituted by; short of, to (in giving time, e.g. quarter of five) (US); measuring; aged; owning.

“Of” describes membership, “Blue,” he shouted, as an example of a color of the sky. “For” almost relates a transition - from the latin ‘per’ or through.
Maeve on March 25th, 2008 12:28 am

silly,
Brad K has certainly provided an exhaustive list for “of” and “for.”

If you’ were looking for a shorter answer, perhaps this will help:

The preposition of usually indicates possession:
the book of my aunt, the King of England, the color of the sky

Perhaps the most frequent meaning of for is “on account of,” or “on behalf of”
I bought a gift for my mother.
Do it for the Gipper.
Mina on March 27th, 2008 9:32 am

Hi….is any one here?
Parthan on April 1st, 2008 3:01 am

I have seen a bit different usage of the words will and shall by Indian English speakers. Will is used when you have the willingness to do something, while shall is very rarely used and often replaced by should.

For example, the very common use of shall in India is “Shall I?” asked when you are asking permission from a superior to come forward and try something for him. It is used in the contexts for the first person volunteering to do something for the other person and asks permission whether he/she can.

And the example “I shall drive to Tulsa today. You will follow on Tuesday.” is often delivered as “I am (or will be) driving to Tulsa today and you will follow on Tuesday”. This is often taken in the meaning that am driving to Tulsa today and you will (in a bit of authoritative sense, as in suggesting out a plan) on Tuesday. People, he in India, mostly assume that “will” in the above sentence means “they have to”.

May be most Indian English speakers need to read this article
Mary Noyes Tabb on May 8th, 2008 12:06 pm

This is a further question on the use of “shall” and “will”……

In the Bible, when “shall” is used, what is the interpretation? The newer translations seem to be unclear.
Please comment.
Dante Fadrilan, Philippines on July 1st, 2008 8:54 am

There is a clear difference between “shall” and “will”:

“Shall” - when use as a helping verb, it implies a sense of doubt an action is going to happen;

“Will” - as a helping verb, an action is sure to happen, no if, no impediments or barriers.

“Shall” cannot or may not be used as a noun; “will” can be such as: “the will of the father.”