English
rank|down|good|never|100|shall|most|where|those
Etymology
OE. sculan|sceal, of Germanic origin.
Compare Dutch zal.
Pronunciation
(stressed) IPA|/��æl/, SAMPA|/"S{l/
(unstressed) IPA|/��l/, SAMPA|/S@l/
audio|en-us-shall.ogg|Audio (US)
:Rhymes: Rhymes:English:-æl|-æl
Verb
wikipedia
en-verb|inf= - |shall|-|should|-
Category:English auxiliary verbs
- (Modal auxiliary verb. Defective.)Used before a verb to indicate the simple future tense, particularly in the first person singular or plural.
#:I shall sing in the choir tomorrow
- Used similarly to indicate determination or obligation, particularly in the second and third persons singular and plural.
#:(determination): You shall go to the ball!
#:(obligation): Citizens shall provide proof of identity.
- Used in questions to suggest a possible future action.
#:Shall we go out later?
- archaic Used to indicate destiny or certainty.
#:Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
- obsolete To owe.
Usage notes
Historically, shall is the present tense and should is its past tense.
:You have done that you should be sorry for.
:You have done that you shall be sorry for.
In the past, will and shall have been used similarly as auxiliary verbs for the future tense. The simple future tense traditionally uses shall for the first person ("I" and "we"), and will for the second and third persons.
:I shall go.
:You will go.
An emphatic future tense, with a sense of must, reverses the two words, using will for the first person and shall for the second and third person.
:I will go.
:You shall go.
Usage can be reversed in questions and in dependent clauses—especially with indirect discourse. For example: Shall you do it? is equivalent in meaning to Will you do it? as it anticipates your response I shall do it. Or: he says that he shall win or he expects that he shall win report his saying I shall win, not I will win.
Translations
trans-top|indicating the simple future tense
French: shall followed by the infinitive is translated using the future tense
:I shall sing tomorrow - Je chanterai demain
Dutch: zullen
trans-mid
Italian: shall followed by the infinitive is translated using the future tense
:I shall sing tomorrow - Canterò domani
trans-bottom
trans-top|indicating determination or obligation
French: (indicating determination) shall followed by the infinitive is translated using the future tense, which can be emphasised using "bien" or a similar adverbial construction; (indicating obligation) devoir, être obliger|obligé de
:You shall go to the ball! - Mais tu iras bien au bal! or Ah oui, tu iras au bal!
:Citizens shall provide identity - Les citoyens doivent fournir une pièce d'identité or Les citoyens sont obligés de fournir une pièce d'identité
trans-mid
Italian: (indicating determination) shall followed by the infinitive is translated using the future tense, which can be emphasised using "sì che" or a similar adverbial construction; (indicating obligation) dovere, essere obbligare|obbligato di
:You shall go to the ball! - Sì che andrai al ballo!
:Citizens shall provide identity - I cittadini devono fornire identificazione or I cittadini sono obbligati di fornire identificazione
trans-bottom
trans-top|in questions to suggest a possible future action
French: shall followed by the infinitive is translated by si and the imperfect tense, or, informally, without si and with the present tense
:Shall we go out later? - Si nous sortions plus tard? or Sortons plus tard?
trans-mid
Italian: shall followed by the infinitive is translated by the present tense
:Shall we go out later? - Usciamo più tardi?
trans-bottom
See also
shalt
shan't
should
will
Category:English irregular verbs
fr:shall
ko:shall
io:shall
it:shall
la:shall
hu:shall
ja:shall
simple:shall
fi:shall
te:shall
vi:shall
tr:shall
uk:shall
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