Will for assumption, habit, willingness and refusal; shall for offers and suggestions with I and we, and for formal duty. Will guesses what is true now, and shall asks what to do: That'll be Tom at the door. Shall we wait?
No information at the current level. This view starts at B2: choose B2 or a higher level.
No information at the current level. This view starts at B2: choose B2 or a higher level.
CheatsheetB2–C2
| Point | Rule | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assumption | will guesses what is true now, from what the speaker knows | That'll be Tom at the door. / She won't be home yet. | B2 |
| Habit | what is always or typically true | Oil will float on water. / He will sit there for hours. | B2 |
| Willingness | will is willing, won't refuses, for people and things | The shop will change it. / The car won't start. | B2 |
| Request | Will you…? asks directly, Would you…? is softer | Will you open the window? | B2 |
| Shall question | Shall + I / we + V offers, suggests or asks what to do | Shall I open the window? / Let's go, shall we? | B2 |
| Guess in progress | will be + V-ing guesses what is happening now | Don't call yet. They'll be having dinner. | C1 |
| Guess about the past | will have + past participle guesses about something finished | You'll have heard the news. | C1 |
| Persistent habit | stressed will shows an annoying habit | He will keep interrupting. | C1 |
| Formal shall | shall after I or we, and in rules and promises | I shall be there. / Passengers shall not smoke. | C1 |
| Legal shall | shall states a duty on any subject in laws and contracts | The tenant shall pay the rent monthly. / Thou shalt not steal. | C2 |
| Command | will gives an order as a fact; will do accepts it | You will report at nine. | C2 |
| Trap | an offer with I takes shall | Shall I carry your bag? | B2 |
Form: will and shallB2–C2
| Form | Pattern | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statement | subject + will / 'll + V | That'll be the postman. | B2 |
| Negative | subject + won't / will not + V | He won't be at work today. | B2 |
| Question with shall | Shall + I / we + V | Shall I carry your bag? (US: Should I carry your bag?) | B2 |
| Continuous | subject + will be + V-ing | He'll be working late again. | C1 |
| Perfect | subject + will have + past participle | He'll have missed the bus. | C1 |
| Statement with shall | I / we + shall + V | I shall call you tomorrow. | C1 |
| Negative with shall | I / we + shall not / shan't + V | We shan't be long. (US: won't) | C1 |
| Shall with any subject | subject + shall + V | The seller shall deliver the goods in May. | C2 |
- Plans, decisions, offers and predictions with will are in Future Forms.
- C1'll is the short form of both will and shall: We'll tell you on Monday.
Pronunciation: will, shall and shan'tB2–C1
| Form | Sound | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| shall (weak, in questions) | /ʃəl/ | Shall I help? /ʃəl aɪ ˈhelp/ | B2 |
| will (stressed) | /wɪl/ | He will keep interrupting. /hi ˈwɪl kiːp ˌɪntəˈrʌptɪŋ/ | C1 |
| shan't | /ʃɑːnt/ (US: /ʃænt/) | We shan't be long. /wi ˈʃɑːnt bi ˈlɒŋ/ | C1 |
C1
- Stressed will keeps its full vowel; writing shows the stress with italics or capitals.
Use: assumptionsB2–C1
| Use | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| A guess about the present from what the speaker knows (will) | That'll be Tom at the door. / You'll be tired after the flight. | B2 |
| A guess that something is not yet true (won't) | She won't be home yet. | B2 |
| A guess about what is happening now (will be + V-ing) | Don't call yet. They'll be having dinner. / She'll be waiting at the station by now. | C1 |
| A guess about something finished (will have + past participle) | You'll have heard the news. / They'll have arrived by now. | C1 |
- Words such as yet and by now often mark a guess about the present: They'll be home by now.
- C1won't have + past participle guesses that something has not happened yet: She won't have seen my message yet.
Use: habitsB2–C1
| Use | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| General truths: what always happens (will) | Oil will float on water. / Accidents will happen. | B2 |
| Typical behaviour of a person or thing (will) | He will sit there for hours. / The dog will bark at every visitor. | B2 |
| A persistent habit the speaker finds annoying (stressed will) | He will keep interrupting. / She will leave her cup on the stairs. | C1 |
| A saying about human nature (will) | Boys will be boys. / People will talk. | C1 |
- A habit in the past takes would: see Would.
- Habit will describes typical behaviour; routines take the present simple: see Simple Tenses.
Use: willingness, refusal and commandB2–C2
| Use | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| Willingness: the subject is ready to act (will) | I will help you move. / The shop will change it for you. | B2 |
| A request (Will you…?) | Will you give me a hand? / Will you tell her I called? | B2 |
| Refusal by a person (won't) | She won't listen to anyone. | B2 |
| A thing that fails to work (won't) | The car won't start. / The door won't open. | B2 |
| Firm determination (will, often stressed) | I will not tolerate it. / We will finish this today. | C1 |
| An impatient command (Will you please…?) | Will you please be quiet? ↘ / Will you stop that noise? | C1 |
| An order given as a statement of fact (you will) | You will report at nine. / Cadets will wear uniform at all times. | C2 |
| Short replies that accept an order or a request (will do, shall do) | Text me when you land. — Will do. / Please lock the door. — Shall do. | C2 |
| A short reply that refuses (won't do) | Wear the tie, please. — Won't do. | C2 |
C2
- An order with you will comes from someone with authority and expects no refusal.
Use: shallB2–C2
| Use | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| An offer to do something (Shall + I + V) | Shall I carry that for you? / Shall I open the door? (US: Should I open the door?) | B2 |
| A suggestion (Shall + we + V) | Shall we eat out tonight? | B2 |
| A question about what to do (what shall, where shall) | What shall we cook tonight? / Where shall I put my coat? | B2 |
| A tag after let's | Let's start, shall we? | B2 |
| A formal statement of intention with I or we | I shall be there at nine. / We shall write to you on Monday. | C1 |
| Rules and notices (shall, shall not) | Passengers shall not leave bags unattended. / Members shall pay their fees by March. | C1 |
| A promise to someone (you shall) | You shall have your money on Friday. / She shall have the best seat in the house. | C1 |
| Laws, contracts and court orders: a duty on any subject (shall) | The accused shall be informed of the charge. / The tenant shall pay the rent monthly. | C2 |
| Biblical and literary commands (shalt) | Thou shalt not steal. / Thou shalt love thy neighbour. | C2 |
C1
- I shall is formal and mostly British; speech and American English use I will or I'll.
Compare: will and would for requestsB2
| Point | Will you | Would you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meaning | a direct request | a polite, tentative request | B2 |
| Spoken to | friends, family and colleagues | strangers, customers and senior people | B2 |
| Example | Will you pass the salt? | Would you pass the salt, please? | B2 |
- More polite requests, offers and imagined situations are in Would.
Compare: shall and must in rulesC2
| Point | shall | must | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Style | traditional legal drafting | plain-English drafting | C2 |
| Duty | The contractor shall finish the work by June. | The contractor must finish the work by June. | C2 |
| Ban | Visitors shall not feed the animals. | Visitors must not feed the animals. | C2 |
- Plain-English drafting replaces shall with must for duties, since shall is often unclear.
- Everyday obligation with must is in Must and Have To.
Typical errorsB2–C2
| Wrong | Right | Rule | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will I carry your bag? | Shall I carry your bag? | an offer with I takes shall | B2 |
| Let's start, will we? | Let's start, shall we? | the tag after let's is shall we | B2 |
| Shall you open the window? | Will you open the window? | shall in a question takes I or we | B2 |
| They will arrive by now. | They'll have arrived by now. | a guess about something finished takes will have + past participle | C1 |
| Don't call her now. She will sleep. | Don't call her now. She'll be sleeping. | a guess about an action in progress takes will be + V-ing | C1 |
| She shall be here tomorrow. | She will be here tomorrow. | shall after she sounds like a promise or an order; a plain future takes will | C2 |
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