SHALL Definition & Meaning

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shall

[ shal; unstressed shuhl ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

auxiliary verb

imperative, infinitive, and participles lacking.

2nd: should or (Archaic) shouldst or shouldestpresent plural: shall3rd: should3rd: shall2nd: shall or (Archaic) shaltpresent singular 1st person: shallpast plural: shouldpast singular 1st person: should

plan to, intend to, or expect to:
I shall go later.
will have to, is determined to, or definitely will:
You shall do it. He shall do it.
(in laws, directives, etc.) must; is or are obliged to:
The meetings of the council shall be public.
(used interrogatively in questions, often in invitations):
Shall we go?

shall

/ ʃəl; ʃæl /

verb

esp withI or we as subject used as an auxiliary to make the future tense Compare will 1
we shall see you tomorrow
withyou, he, she, it, they, or a noun as subject
1. used as an auxiliary to indicate determination on the part of the speaker, as in issuing a threat
  you shall pay for this!
2. used as an auxiliary to indicate compulsion, now esp in official documents
  the Tenant shall return the keys to the Landlord
3. used as an auxiliary to indicate certainty or inevitability
  our day shall come
with any noun or pronoun as subject, esp in conditional clauses or clauses expressing doubt used as an auxiliary to indicate nonspecific futurity
he doubts whether he shall be in tomorrow
I don't think I shall ever see her again

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Usage

The usual rule given for the use of shall and will is that where the meaning is one of simple futurity, shall is used for the first person of the verb and will for the second and third: I shall go tomorrow; they will be there now. Where the meaning involves command, obligation, or determination, the positions are reversed: it shall be done; I will definitely go. However, shall has come to be largely neglected in favour of will, which has become the commonest form of the future in all three persons

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Confusables Note

The traditional rule of usage guides dates from the 17th century and says that to denote future time shall is used in the first person ( I shall leave. We shall go ) and will in all other persons ( You will be there, won't you? He will drive us to the airport. They will not be at the meeting ). The rule continues that to express determination, will is used in the first person ( We will win the battle ) and shall in the other two persons ( You shall not bully us. They shall not pass ). Whether this rule was ever widely observed is doubtful. Today, will is used overwhelmingly in all three persons and in all types of speech and writing both for the simple future and to express determination. Shall has some use in all persons, chiefly in formal writing or speaking, to express determination: I shall return. We shall overcome. Shall also occurs in the language of laws and directives: All visitors shall observe posted regulations. Most educated native users of American English do not follow the textbook rule in making a choice between shall and will. should.

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of shall¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English shal, Old English sceal; cognate with Old Saxon skal, Old High German scal, Old Norse skal; compare German soll, Dutch zal

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of shall¹

Old English sceal; related to Old Norse skal, Old High German scal, Dutch zal

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The Constitution's 22nd Amendment says that "no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice".

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Powell responded "oh, we want to blow that little trumpet now do we" and "let's get that dog whistle out shall we".

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Today Americans across the country shall peel apart the pages of their local newspaper to read the day’s biggest headline: “Canada Elects New Prime Minister.”

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It states that “no public money … shall ever be appropriated … or used, directly or indirectly, for the use, benefit, or support of any sect, church, denomination, or system of religion … or sectarian institution.”

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It also says, in a separate but equally important section, that “provisions shall be made for the establishment and maintenance of a system of public schools, which shall be open to all the children of the state and free from sectarian control.”

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shale oil Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

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