Before doing this activity you may need to read the text you will find at the end
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| Come here, I'm going to give you something |
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A- Volition B- Next future C- Old-fashioned D- Obligation |
| Shall I open the window? |
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A- Offer B- Invitation C- Old-fashioned future D- Obligation |
| Will you open the door for me, please? |
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A- Volition B- Invitation C- Obligation D- Old-fashioned future |
| I'm about to fall asleep. It was a very hard day, I'm exhausted. |
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A- Imminent future B- Prediction C- Obligation D- Volition |
| I shall always take care of you |
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A- Obligation B- Promise C- Volition D- Imminent future |
| The president is to give a speech before the party |
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A- Prediction B- Volition C- Obligation D- Very formal future |
| Will you please tell my mother I'm here? |
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A- Obligation B- Invitation C- Request D- Prediction |
| There shall be peace on earth some day, I know that day will come, I'm sure. |
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A- Emphatic future B- Volition C- Obligation D- Suggestion |
| Shall we make a cake for tonight? |
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A- Invitation B- Suggestion C- Old-fashioned future D- Asking for advice |
| You are to finish all your work before you can leave |
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A- Prediction B- Obligation C- Old-fashioned future D- Volition |
| Shall we go for a drink? |
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A- Invitation B- Suggestion C- Request D- Promise |
| Quick, hurry up, it's about to rain. |
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A- Next future B- Imminent future C- Prediction D- Obligation |
| Oh, my love shall forever live in your eyes |
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A- Prediction B- Request C- Old-fashioned future D- Suggestion |
| I think I'm going to open the window, it's too hot. |
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A- Next future B- Promise C- Obligation D- Prediction |
| Will you have a cup of tea? |
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A- Prediction B- Invitation C- Obligation D- Promise |
| Don't go now, the film is about to start |
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A- Prediction B- Obligation C- Imminent future D- Old-fashioned |
| The computer won't start. I think we need to call the technician |
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A- Prediction B- Refusal C- Next future D- Obligation |
| Sorry but I won't talk to her, I never will |
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A- Refusal B- Obligation C- Invitation D- Prediction |
| Look, that car is going to crash into the tree |
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A- Obligation B- Volition C- Next future D- Old-fashioned future |
| You shall never forget this day. Never. |
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A- Next future B- Emphatic future C- Obligation D- Request |
| Shall I show you how to do it? |
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A- Request B- Invitation C- Offering D- Old-fashioned future |
| And the lamb shall lie with the lion and a little child shall lead them |
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A- Promise B- Old-fashioned future C- Request D- Imminent future |
| What shall I say when I see her? |
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A- Offering B- Invitation C- Prediction D- Asking for advice |
| Will you come to my party tonight? |
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A- Request B- Obligation C- Asking advice D- Invitation |
| It's very late to go back home. Will you stay and have lunch with us? |
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A- Request B- Volition C- Promise D- Obligation |
| I already asked her where she is going, but she won't tell me |
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A- Next Future B- Obligation C- Refusal D- Prediction |
| I shall give you back all the money, but please, I need it today |
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A- Promise B- Prediction C- Asking for advice D- Next future |
NEXT-FUTURE
We use "Going To" to talk about what we are going to do next, or to tell people what they have to do next. In colloquial English we often use Gonna (with or without To Be)
| - OK, I'm going to put a video, we're going to listen to it and then you're going to tell me what happened in the story. - Are you gonna come with us? You gonna get lost if you don't. Come on, we're gonna call a taxi before it's too late, come with us. |
WILL = WANT
| The verb WILL very often expresses volition (it means WANT). In fact, in old English “will” meant “want” (the word “want” arrived into the language later). When you see WILL, it is a good idea to think that it probably means “want”, but if it makes no sense, then it is a future. In this sense we use WILL to make invitations and requests: Will you come to my party? (invitation) = do you want to come? Will you open the door for me, please? (request) = do you want to open...? |
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For the same reason, the negative is often used meaning “refuse” (= not want) |
BE ABOUT TO
We use this to talk about something that is going to happen very very soon, an imminent future.
| Don't approach the car. The bomb is about to explode I'm about to finish (= I will finish in a moment) A new war is about to start in the Middle East I hope we get to a petrol station in time. The tank is about to be empty |
BE TO
This is a very formal and official way to express future. We never use it when talking, but we can find it in newspaper news (especially headlines), notices and official announcements. It is also used to impose an obligation.
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The Queen is to inaugurate a new bridge tomorrow In places where you need to be very short, it is common to drop To Be and use only the infinitive: IKEA to open here May 2nd (= will open) (you should understand this construction if you find it, but it is probably a good idea not to use it) |
SHALL
In the past, WILL and SHALL were both used to talk about the future but today SHALL is not normally used except to add some special meaning. It often sounds old-fashioned or very formal.
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I shall be rich one day (this sounds like a stronger prediction than "I will be rich one day")
You shall listen to me when I'm talking! |
An archaic form for the future. It is common in Bible texts, poetry, old literature, etc.
"I never shall forget, I never can forget, that my mother was warm for my being sent back" (Charles Dickens)
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season (Bible, KJV)
Shall I compare thee to a summer day? (Shakespear, thee = you)
And death shall have no dominion (modern poem by Dylan Thomas)
SHALL is still used today normally (not formal or old-fashioned) in three situations:
1- For offerings (when we offer to do something for somebody (always SHALL I):
That box looks very heavy. Shall I help you? (= Do you want me to help you?)
Shall I tell your mother you are here?
2- For suggestions (always SHALL WE):
Shall we go to the cinema? (= let's go...)
Shall we have another drink?
3- To ask for advice (always SHALL I):
Shall I wear the red dress or the green one? (= what do you think?)
Oh no, this is terrible! What shall I do?
