Shall

  I shall see that it gets done by next week - trust me. 

Shall is a modal verb which is used for talking about the future. For other uses, see modal verbs.

This is rarely used and, apart from some special exceptions, it is only used with 'I' and 'we'.

Affirmative:           subject + shall + verb                I/we shall go.

Negative:              subject + shall + not + verb       I/we shall not go.

Interrogative:        shall + subject + verb                Shall we go?

Contracted form

In the affirmative and one form of the negative, this is the same as for will.

Affirmative      I'll    We'll

 

Negative form 1         Negative form 2

 

I'll not                          I shan't  

We'll not                     We shan't

Shall can be used as an alternative to 'will' when using future tenses.

I shall do that tomorrow.

We shan't be ready on time.

In 15 years, I shall be retired and living by the sea.

This time next week, we shall be sitting on the beach.

If we don't work more quickly, we shan't have finished before the deadline.

          Shall we see you at the party?

          Shan't you be there?

Notes

1.         This is rarely heard nowadays but some people prefer to use it some of the time. This includes occasions when we choose to be flippant or because we enjoy playing with the language. "What do you think will happen?" "I don't know - we shall see!"

2.         It is sometimes considered a little stronger than will and is, therefore, more likely to be used when making promises or expressing determination.

"Don't worry, I shall do it tomorrow. I promise."

 

3.         In conversation, shan't is more common than shall not. The latter is used for emphasis.

        "I shall not change my mind so don't ask me again."

 

4.         In everyday use, shall is only used with 'I' and 'we'. However, in some older literature

you will find it with 'you', 'he', 'she', 'it' and 'they'.

        "You shall not pass!" says Gandalf in Lord of the Rings.

 

         Also, it may occasionally be heard in conversation with 'you', especially for emphatic use or when someone is angry.

           "You shall do your homework tonight"!    "You shall not speak to me like that again".

 

5.            In formal written rules and legal language, shall can also be used with 'he', 'she', 'it' and 'they'. For example, FIFA's rules include:

           "The referee shall ensure an injured player is safely removed from the field of play."

 

6.            The interrogative form is rare, possibly because it sounds like a suggestion rather than a prediction. Negative questions are, therefore, a little more likely to be heard. 

            "Shan't we be seeing you at the meeting?"

 

7.            It is generally advisable for learners of English to avoid using shall as an alternative to will unless they feel very confident about when it is appropriate.  

  We shall be there by 5 - looking forward to it. 

   I shall just ignore them. 

  I shan't be at the meeting tomorrow - I'll be too busy. 

  "Shan't we see you at the seminar next week?"    "No, I'll be on holiday."