Anonymous  +  169166 Mon, 12 Dec 05 04:33 PM Using "shall". -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Do you use these, or similar, in your variant of English? 1) I shall be back soon, so don't worry. 2) Shall I get some drinks in? 3) You shall do exactly as I say! 4) What shall we have for supper tonight? Any ideas? Anonymous

	Ikia  +  169225 Mon, 12 Dec 05 08:32 PM I do make use of them in formal written publications. Numbers 1, 2, and 4 are simple future tense. No. 3 is the emphatic fuure tense. My experience has been that, if you know them, use them. Every editor I've worked with knows the correct uses for shall and will. In general written English and speech, however, the use of shall and will appear to be interchangeable. Also, if you think the use of shall conveys an attitude of  snobbishness or arrogance, you probably would avoid its use in your next advertising campaign. Ikia Ikia Joined on Thu, Dec 8 2005 Junior Member 58 Tenses

	CalifJim  +  169226 Mon, 12 Dec 05 08:40 PM In my variant of English, no, I don't use them -- not in everyday conversation, at least. 1)  I'll be back soon ... 2)  Should I get some drinks? 3)  You'll do exactly ... 4)  What should we have ... I do hear the second one sometimes (Shall I ...?), but not the others, except very rarely. Everybody knows them passively, of course, because they do come up once in a great while in conversation and, more frequently, in written form. I'm a native speaker from California, if that makes any difference for your survey! CJ CalifJim Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004 California Veteran Member 22,389 "There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche Conversations

	Pemmican  +  169231 Mon, 12 Dec 05 08:51 PM There might be a preference of using "shall" in British English, while "should" is preferred in the same contexts in American English. That's at least been a topic of a research a professor of mine discussed once.   All the best -Pemmican Pemmican Joined on Thu, Aug 21 2003 Regular Member 569 Wâ mag ich mich nu vinden? wâ mac ich mich nu suochen, wâ? nu bin ich hie und bin ouch dâ und enbin doch weder dâ noch hie. wer wart ouch sus verirret ie? wer wart ie sus... American English, British English

	CalifJim  +  169238 Mon, 12 Dec 05 09:06 PM Pemmican, That sounds entirely reasonable to me. It "rings true". Jim CalifJim