Will and Shall (Part 1): Decisions and Predictions
Use will for predictions and decisions made at the moment of speaking, and shall with I or we for offers and suggestions.
Learning Objective
Will and Shall (Part 1): Decisions and Predictions
Use will for immediate decisions and predictions, and recognise common offer and suggestion patterns with shall.
Clear Explanation
Will commonly expresses a prediction or a decision made as someone speaks. Shall is mainly used with I or we in questions that offer help or ask for a suggestion.
Form and Structure
subject + will + base verb; Shall I/we + base verb?
“I think the journey will take two hours.”
Will is not the only future form. Plans and prior intentions are often expressed with be going to or the present continuous.
Meaning and Use
Predictions
Use will for what you think or expect about the future.
“The test will probably be difficult.”
Immediate decisions
Use will when the decision is made at the moment of speaking.
“I will carry that bag for you.”
Offers and suggestions
Shall I and Shall we are common in British English for offers and suggestions.
“Shall I open the window?”
Common Errors and Meaning Traps
I will to call you later.
I will call you later.
Will is followed by the base verb without to.
Shall you help me?
Will you help me?
Use Will you for an ordinary request; Shall is not normally used with you in this pattern.
Look at those clouds! It will rain.
Look at those clouds! It is going to rain.
Be going to is the usual choice for a prediction based on present evidence.
Guided Practice
Use the grammar in context
“The phone is ringing; I will answer it.”
“Shall we meet outside the library?”
Make one prediction, one immediate decision, and one suggestion beginning Shall we.
Quick Recap
Will commonly expresses a prediction or a decision made as someone speaks. Shall is mainly used with I or we in questions that offer help or ask for a suggestion.
Use will for what you think or expect about the future.
Will is not the only future form. Plans and prior intentions are often expressed with be going to or the present continuous.
Will is followed by the base verb without to.
Independent Mastery Check
Complete these four checks before taking the quiz. If one feels difficult, return to the matching section and try again.
Explain the core rule in your own words without looking back at the lesson.
Find the target form in “I think the journey will take two hours.” and explain what it communicates in this context.
Explain why “I will call you later.” is the recommended revision for “I will to call you later.”.
Make one prediction, one immediate decision, and one suggestion beginning Shall we.
Continue at A1-A2 Level
Aim for at least 5 out of 6 in the quiz below. For every missed answer, read the explanation, return to the relevant section, and try the quiz again.
Which statement best explains Will and Shall (Part 1): Decisions and Predictions?
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