11/06/2020
Common Mistakes and Errors in English
Verb often can confuse
396. Shall and Will.
(a) To express simple futurity: In the first person:
Don’t say: I will go tomorrow if it's fine.
Say: I shall go tomorrow if it's fine.
In the second person:
Don’t say: She tells me you shall go tomorrow.
Say: She tells me you will/ 'll go tomorrow.
In the third person:
Don’t say: He shall go if he has permission.
Say: He will/ 'll go if he has permission.
(b) To express something more than simple futurity: In the first person:
Don’t say: I have determined that I shall go.
Say: I have determined that I will/ 'll go.
In the second person:
Don’t say: You will/ 'll go out if you are good.
Say: You shall go out if you are good.
In the third person:
Don’t say: My mind is made up: he will 'll go.
Say: My mind is made up: he shall go.
To form the simple future, use shall with the first person and will with the second and third persons. Will in the first person denotes resolution or personal determination, and shall in the second and third persons denotes either a command or a promise.
Note: Should, the past tense of shall, and would, the past tense of will, have he same differences of meaning and use as the present forms shall and will. I was afraid that I should fail, I promised that I would help him.
397. Shall and May. Distinguish between:
(a) May I shut the door?
and (b) Shall I shut the door?
May I shut the door? Means that I wish the door closed and I ask your permission to shut it. Shall I shut the door'? Means that I want to know whether you wish the door closed.
398. Say and Tell.
Don’t say: He told, 'I willll go home.' He told that he'd go home.
Say: He said, 'I will'll go home.' He said that he'd go home.
Use to say (1) when referring to a person's actual words, and (2) in indirect speech if the sentence doesn't contain an indirect object.
Note: Common idioms with say and tell: