• Interior
• Windows
• Walls
• Projects
• Buildings

Using shall and will. Modal verb SHALL. Basic rules of modal verbs

English modal verbs shall And will are used only in two forms: in the present tense - shall, will and in the past tense - should,would.

The infinitive after these verbs is used without the particle to:

I shall be busy on Monday. I'll be busy on Monday.
He will come soon. He'll come soon.
I said that I should be busy on Monday. I said I'd be busy on Monday.
He said that he would come soon. He said he would come soon.

The following abbreviations are used in colloquial speech:
I will = I"ll
I would = I"d
he will = he"ll
he would = he"d
she will = she"ll
she would = she"d
we will = we"ll
we would = we"d
you will = you"ll
you would = you"d
they will = they"ll
they would = they"d
shall not = shan"t
will not = won't
would not = wouldn't
shouldn't = shouldn't

Verb shall used as an auxiliary verb in combination with an infinitive to form future tense forms with the 1st person singular and plural:

I shall be free tonight. I'll be free tonight.
Shall I see you tomorrow? Will I see you tomorrow?
We shall not have an English lesson tomorrow. Tomorrow we will not have an English lesson.

In modern English, instead of shall usually used in first person will: I will be free tonight. We will not have an English lesson tomorrow.

Shall used in an interrogative sentence when addressing an interlocutor for orders or instructions. Shall in this case it has a modal meaning, giving the action a shade of obligation. In the corresponding Russian sentence, the verb is used in the infinitive form:

Shall I close the window? Close the window?
Where shall we wait for you? Where should we wait for you?
Shall he wait for you at the hotel? Should he wait for you at the hotel?

Shall used with the 2nd and 3rd person singular and plural in affirmative and negative sentences. In this case shall has a modal meaning, giving action in the future tense a shade of promise, command, threat, warning on the part of the speaker. Modal meaning in Russian shall conveyed with appropriate intonation:

Tell her that she shall have the books tomorrow. Tell her that she will receive the books tomorrow (promise).
You shall write your exercises at once. You will write the exercises immediately (order).

Shall used with the 2nd and 3rd person singular and plural in agreements, contracts and other documents. In this case shall has a modal meaning, giving action in the future tense a connotation of obligation. The corresponding Russian sentence uses the future tense or more often “must” with an infinitive:

The Buyers shall have the right to inspect the goods during their manufacture. Buyers should have the right (will have the right) to inspect the product during its production.

Should(past tense form of shall) is used as an auxiliary verb:

1. with the 1st person singular and plural to form the Future in the Past forms of the indicative mood:
I said that I should be glad to see him. I said I would be glad to see him.

2. with the 1st person singular and plural to form the subjunctive forms used in the main part of conditional sentences of the second and third types:
I should go there if I had time. I would go there if I had time.

Currently, instead of should usually used with 1st person would(both in Future in the Past and subjunctive forms).

3. with all persons singular and plural to form the subjunctive forms used in the following types offers:

a) in subordinate clauses subjects starting with the conjunction that after phrases like it is desirable - desirable, it is necessary - necessary, it is important - important, it is strange - strange, etc. (in combination with Simple and Perfect Infinitive):
It is strange that he should have said it. It's strange that he said that.

b) in additional subordinate clauses, when the predicate verb of the main sentence expresses determination, demand, proposal, agreement, order (in combination with the Simple Infinitive):
He ordered that the work should be done at once. He ordered the work to be done immediately.

c) in additional subordinate clauses, when the predicate verb of the main sentence expresses a feeling of regret, surprise, indignation, joy, etc. (in combination with Simple and Perfect Infinitive):
It is a pity that it should be so. It's a pity that this is so.

d) in subordinate clauses of the goal (in combination with the Simple Infinitive):
I"ll ring him up at once so that he shouldn"t wait for me. I'll call him immediately so he doesn't have to wait for me.

e) in subordinate clauses conditions (in combination with Simple Infinitive):
If they should come, I shall speak to them about it. If they come, I'll talk to them about it.

f) in direct and indirect questions starting with why, to express strong surprise, bewilderment (in combination with Simple and Perfect Infinitive):
Why should you have behaved so? Why did you behave this way?

Should used as a verb with an independent modal meaning to express moral duty or advice with all persons singular and plural. Should in combination with Simple Infinitive is used when we are talking about the present or the future and is translated into Russian as “must, should, should, should”:

Shouldn't help them. He should (should, should, should) help them.

Should in combination with Perfect Infinitive used in relation to the past, expresses censure or reproach and is translated into Russian “should have, should have, should have, should have”:

Shouldn't have helped them. He should have (should have, should have, should have) helped them.

Should in combination with Infinitive Passive is translated into Russian “must, should, should, should” with the infinitive of the passive voice or “should, should, should” with the infinitive of the active voice:

This letter should be sent off at once. This letter should (should) be sent immediately. This letter should (should) be sent immediately.

In Russian, “should, should” can be used both in relation to the present or future, and in relation to the past. When “should, should” are used in relation to the present or future, they correspond to the combination should with the infinitive in the Simple form. When “should, should have” are used in relation to the past, they correspond to the combination should with the infinitive in the Perfect form:

You should (you should) do it now (tomorrow). You should do it now (tomorrow).
You should have (you should have) done this yesterday. You should have done it yesterday.

Should also used with a modal meaning in indirect speech depending on the verb in the past tense, when in the corresponding direct speech shall should be used with a modal meaning. Should in this case it is used according to the rule of tense agreement:

I asked him where I should wait for him. I asked him where I should wait for him.

Verb will used as an auxiliary verb in combination with an infinitive to form future tense forms with the 2nd and 3rd person singular and plural:

Will not come to Moscow soon. He will soon arrive in Moscow.

Will used with the 1st person singular and plural with a modal meaning, giving action in the future tense a connotation of desire, intention, consent or promise:

I will call on you tomorrow. I'll come see you tomorrow.
We will help him. We will help him.

Would(past form of will) is used as an auxiliary verb:

1. with the 2nd and 3rd person singular and plural to form the Future in the Past forms of the indicative mood:
Didn't say that he would come soon. He said he would come soon.

2. with the 2nd and 3rd person singular and plural to form the subjunctive forms used in the main part of conditional sentences of the second and third type:
Wouldn't go there if he had time. He would go there if he had time.

Would often used with 1st person instead should.

Would is used with a modal meaning with all singular and plural persons in negative sentences to express persistent reluctance to perform an action in the past and in this case is translated into Russian as “didn’t want to”:

Didn't try to persuade me, but I wouldn't listen to him. He tried to convince me, but I did not want to listen to him. I asked him several times to give up smoking, but he wouldn't. I asked him several times to quit smoking, but he didn't want to.

Would used to express a request:

Would you mind passing me the salt? Please pass me the salt.

Would used with all singular and plural persons to express a repeated action in the past with the meaning “happened”:

Wouldn't sit for hours on the shore and (would) look at the sea. He used to sit for hours on the shore and look at the sea.
The verb would in this case approaches in meaning to used (to). It should be borne in mind that in colloquial speech used (to) is used much more often than would.

Would used in indirect speech, depending on the verb in the past tense, with the 1st person singular and plural with a connotation of intention, desire or consent, when in the corresponding direct speech will should be used. Would

Modal verb shall used to express the future tense with pronouns I And we. It is also often used in questions with an action sentence (for example: Shall are we going? - Shall we go?). Shall often used to express a categorical promise. In formal English the use of the verb shall to express the future tense often has a connotation of inevitability or predestination. Shall much more commonly used in British English. In American English other forms are preferred, although sometimes shall is still used in action sentences or in formal speech.

For example:
Shall I help you?
Help to you? ( Expresses an action proposal.)

I shall never forget where I came from.
I I'll never forget where I'm from. ( Expresses a categorical promise.)

He shall become our next king.
He will become our next king. ( Expresses predestination.)

I'm afraid Mr. Smith shall become our new director.
I'm afraid Mr. Smith will become our new director. ( Expresses inevitability.)

Other examples of the use of the modal verb shall

Unlike most modal verbs, shall and will combine not only the connotation of modality, but also the function of auxiliaries that indicate the future tense.

In the process of language development, the original meanings of verbs were supplemented with a hint of the future tense. Yes, once upon a time shall was used to mean “should”, and will- "want". An echo of this continues today. So, there is an abstract noun will - “will, desire.” Much later, these verbs began to be used as future tense markers. As an auxiliary, shall was used with the first person, and will with all the others, although today it is used in all persons.

This is important to know:

Short formshan'tcharacteristic of British English. In American they usewon'tin all faces. Taking into account that American English is more widespread due to the influence of the mass media, it is not recommended to use this form to avoid mixing two competing variants.

Modal verb shall: use and meaning

Language is constantly transforming and developing. As a result, the modal verb shall is almost never used in everyday conversation. The exception is the situation when the speaker makes a proposal. For example:

• Shall we help you? - Let us help you.
• It’s too smoky, shall we go outside? — It’s very smoky in here, maybe it’s better to go out?

It is interesting that in old texts shall occurs in the sense of a warning, threat or promise. The most striking example is Gandalf's phrase from the Lord of the Rings trilogy:

• You shall not pass! - You won't pass!

Compared to the translation, the meaning of the phrase in the original is much richer precisely because of the modality of the verb. Note that it is used here in second person. In this meaning shall is found in song lyrics and literary works:

• You shall never be afraid again! - Nobody will scare you anymore.
• It is too dangerous. They shall loose there. - It's too dangerous. They will fail there.

The form shall indicates a strong probability and a strict obligation. It is easy to determine whether there is really modal knowledge here, or just an indication of the future tense. If shall is not in the first person, then you need to translate the phrase only from the position of modality. In other cases, it is determined by context. For example:

• I shall go and see what can be done - I’ll go and see what can be done.
• You shall apologize for your behavior - You must apologize for your behavior.

In the first case, there is a simple use of shall as a marker of the Future Simple, and in the second, there is a rigid obligation, which stands out intonationally in speech.

Unlike Russian, the word “should” in English has more than one equivalent. The verbs must, have to, to be to, should, shall can be used in this meaning. They differ in shades of meaning. For example, to be to is used to carry out a planned action or when executing an order, should o ought to - as a soft form, which is translated as “should” and has the meaning of advice.

Will as modal: features of use

As mentioned above, will initially had a clear modal meaning, which gradually became associated with the function of a future tense marker. They do not contradict each other, since the main meaning of will is intention. An example will help to clearly understand why the modality was so easily combined with the function of the future tense:

• Don’t worry, I will be back as soon as I can - Don’t worry, I’ll be back as soon as I can.
• I will do it whatever you say. - I will do it, no matter what you say.

Thus, in both cases, the speaker’s intention to perform some action can be traced.

Another meaning is direct instruction and persistent imperative, that is, a command to do something. In this case, in addition to the emphasized use of the full form, the intonational emphasis of the modal verb is used for an emphatic effect.

• They will help us even if to explain everything again. “They will have to help us, even if I have to explain everything again.”
• You will go home and apologize - You'll have to go home and apologize.

In addition, will can be used in formal orders when the orderer has a higher status than the interlocutor. Often used by teachers in relation to students, for example:

• Will you two go out! - You two, get out of the audience!

Finally, will is used to describe a repeated action that the speaker does not approve of. The use of the verb in this case is also emphasized intonationally to enhance the meaningful part of the sentence. For example:

• I am not surprised that you are bitten. You will pat all the dogs you see. “I’m not surprised you were bitten.” You constantly mess with all the dogs in the area.

Without context, it is almost impossible to determine whether will should be translated modal or not. Offer “I will go and see what happened” translated in two ways:

“I’ll go see what happened” and “I want to go see what happened”.