What is the difference between 'shall' and 'will'?

Answer 1

Will and shall, both imply a command. "You will or shall wash the dishes." It is up to the person issuing the command which to use and the person to whom the command is given is expected to comply. May and could, imply permission or suggestion. "You may or could wash the dishes." It implies that it is up to the person receiving the request whether to comply or not.

Answer 2

There is no difference and both mean the same thing. "Shall" is a bit more formal than "will'. At least we don't use "shan't" ("shall not") anymore.

The difference between will and shall is very slight, but the word shall is sometimes used for greater emphasis than is conveyed by the word will.Shall also has a slightly more formal tone. The word will is used much more frequently, in normal situations. A person saying "I shall never surrender!" is not just making a prediction, he or she is making a vow.

Grammarial Response:

Will and Shall are modal verbs. Modal verbs show or indicate likelihood, ability, obligation, or permission. Other modal verbs are can, must, may, should, could, and would.

While a bit archaic, the actual rule for using will or shall is in the deictic context of the subject (the person of the pronoun). For first person subjects (I, me), the user should use shall. Second person subjects (you, they) require the use of will.

For instance:

I shall go to the store with you.

You will take your little sister to the store.

Answer 3

The two words mean the same thing and the only difference is the tense in which they are used. Traditionally 'shall' is used when speaking in the first person, for example "I shall finish my dinner". 'Will' is used when speaking in the third person or any other context but this rule is very rarely used anymore.

Answer 4

"Shall" is typically used to indicate a sense of obligation or possibility while "will" is used to express a future intention or likelihood. In some contexts, especially in British English, "shall" is used for first person subjects (I and we) to indicate determination or prediction, while "will" is used for other subjects.