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Subject:Re: "Shall" & "Will" From:Matthew Wong <wong -at- ACEC -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 3 Jun 1994 13:39:57 +5E
> I wish I could say that your append cleared things up for me.
> Unfortunately, I remain confused. The words still seem to function as
> synonyms, to me. Perhaps the distinction is too fine for me to grasp.
> Glenn
Glen & Marguerite,
If you'll allow me:
Generally, most speakers use will and shall for first, second, and third
person. However, because will is more frequestly used, shall is used to
imply an emphasis, as in:
I shall complete my work. (i.e., there is a note of expectation)
versus
I will complete my work.
Some speakers do distinguish between will and shall for expressing a future
action or a future expectation.
In the first person, shall expresses a future action and will expresses an
expectation.
In the 2nd and 3rd persons, the inverse is true. shall expresses an
expectation, while will expresses a future action.
