Shall

[Chloe]

Hello all!

I've heard that "shall" isn't used in the sentences with the Future Tense any more. But my friends and I often say to each other: " Shall we meet in the city?" or "Shall we go there?" Is it correct to use "shall" in this context?

Thank you!

With best wishes,

Chloe

[Duckduck (Contributor)]

Hi Chloe,

ja, Deine Vorschlage sind ganz in Ordnung.

Früher war es tatsächlich üblich, das sogenannte will-Future in der jeweils 1. Person Singular und Plural mit "shall" anstelle von "will" zu bilden. Heute ist diese stilistische Unterscheidung aber nur noch in formellem und literarischem Englisch üblich, nicht aber im "normalen" Sprachgebrauch.

Das bedeutet aber nicht, dass "shall" als Wort nun nicht mehr verwendet werden kann oder soll. Es hat nur eben nicht mehr in erster Linie die Funktion, auf eine zukünftige Handlung hinzuweisen, sondern übernimmt andere Bedeutungen.

So wäre z.B. die Übersetzung Deines Satzes:

"Shall we meet in the city?" "Wollen wir uns in der Stadt treffen?" Es geht hier nicht mehr um die Zukünftigkeit der Handlung, sondern den Willen der betreffenden Personen.

Eine andere Bedeutung von "shall" ist natürlich "sollen".

"Shall he come in?" "Soll er reinkommen?"

Grüße
Duckduck

[deutscherdon]

According to Fowler's English Usage, "shall" is used in the first person and "will" is used in everything else--except in emphatic usage, when the two forms are reversed.

Normal usage:
"I shall go to the store today."
"He will go to the store today."


Emphatic usage:

"I WILL go to the store today!"
"He SHALL go to the store today!"

HOWEVER--I am pretty sure no speaker of English today follows this pattern (I certainly don't). We nearly always say "will" and only in certain set phrases say "shall". As a non-native speaker you should just stick with "will". You will never sound incorrect that way.

Don

[caro64]

Yes but to use the word 'shall' at the beginning of a question, is still common, well, it is there, where I come from
Caro

[deutscherdon]

Caro is right.

We use "shall" most often at the beginning of questions. However, in American English, at least, we typically use it in the subjunctive. So in America we would say "Should we go to the movies tonight?"

Theoretically an American could say "Shall we go to the movies tonight?" but it sounds excessively formal and would likely elicit laughter from your listener.

My understanding of British usage is that "Shall we go to the cinema tonight?" would be perfectly normal. Maybe I just read too much Jane Austen.


Don

[caro64]

Although your two examples don't mean the same (to English ears that is) 'shall we go to the movies' is like asking someone to go because they themselves, think it a good idea and 'should we go to the movies' is more like saying, should we go? Do you think it's necessary? Kind of like asking for advice. I never really realised that American English was that different, cool!! we learn something new everyday
Caro

[tiorthan]

Two peoples separated by a common language.

[caro64]

What a laugh I have been saying 'shall we go to the movies' with an American accent and it does sound really pathetic

[deutscherdon]

Ha! That's funny.



Don