AN INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH GRAMMAR & LANGUAGE
Shall, Should Will is used to express volition.
Shall is used in the first person to express pure future. For example
For example I will (= am willing) to carry your luggage.
I shall do this work. I will (= promise to) try to do better the next
When shall we visit the zoo? time.
Shall I do it for you? Will is used to express characteristic habit.
Tomorrow we shall meet our uncle. For example
Shall is used to express command, desire, promise or He will talk about nothing but politics.
threat etc. in second and third person. She will sit for hours watching the television.
For example Will is used to express assumption or probability.
Shall you go tomorrow? (desire). For example
He shall not enter my house (command). This will be the magazine you want, I think.
You shall have a surprise tomorrow (promise). That will be the milk-man, I think.
You shall be punished for unfair means in ex- Would is used to express the future in the past i.e.,
amination (threat). action which was at one time in the past regarded as be-
Shall he post the letter? ing still in the future.
(is it your desire that he will post the letter?) For example
Shall is also used in the second and third person to He said that he would help us.
ask after the will of the person addressed.
Would is used as Principal Verbs to express determi-
For example nation.
Shall I open the door? (Do you feel like me to open For example
the door).
He would cry without any reason.
Which pen shall I buy? (What is your suggestion).
I would buy it thought it was costly.
Shall the gardener water the plants now?
Note : (i) Should and Would are used instead of shall
Should is used as the past equivalents of shall.
and will in making a polite request.
For example
For example
I expected that I should get distinction.
I should thank you if you would let me go.
I said that I should meet him once.
Would you kindly lend me your hat?
Should is used in all persons to express duty or obli-
(ii) Should and Would are used as the past equivalents
gation.
of shall and will.
For example
For example
We should obey the laws.
I expected that I should get a prize.
You should keep your vows.
He said he would be twenty next year.
Boys should obey their teachers.
(iii) Should and Would are both used as auxiliary Verbs
You should get up early.
to express the future in the past i.e, action which
Should is used to express a supposition that may not
was at one time in the past regarded as being still
be true.
in the future.
For example
For example
If it should rain, they will not visit.
I said that I should meet him once.
If he should see me there, he will be pleased.
He said that he would manage them.
Should is to be used in the first person with a Verb
Must, Ought
like : to like, to care, to be glad, to be pleased etc.
Must is used to express :
For example
(i) Necessity or Obligation.
I should like to read this poem.
For example
I should feel to be pleased with his passing
We must obey our parents.
in the examination.
One must do his duty.
Should is also used in forming the Subjunctive Mood
and to form a Subjunctive equivalent. (ii) Fixed determination.
For example For example
I must have my way in this matter.
He ran lest he should be caught in rain.
He must be fifty now.
Will, Would Ought is followed by an infinite and it expresses ;
Will is used in the second and third persons to expres (i) Moral obligation, duty or desirability -
pure future. For example
For example You ought to have come in time.
Tomorrow will be Sunday. We ought to love our parents.
You will see that I am correct. We ought to love him.
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