Since shall is not regularly used in American English, numerous EFL/ESL students learning English from American teachers are not taught how to use the word. If the word is talked about in class, it is usually done so minimally due to its scarce use. As a result, many EFL/ESL students never completely comprehend how to use the word. After reading this short lesson, however, you should have a better understanding of how shall is used.

Here are a few common examples of how shall is used and what it means when the speaker says it.

a) Shall I call you on Monday?

b) Shall we go to the beach?

c) They shall leave tomorrow.

d) Let's go, shall we?

In examples (a) and (b), shall is being used to make a recommendation to the other person. The speaker is asking the other person if she/he agrees that this is a good idea and that they would like this to occur. This is most likely the most common use of shall.

In example (c), the speaker is using shall as a replacement for will to talk about the future. Typically, will is used in this context. Thus, this is in all likelihood the least common use of shall.

In example (d), shall is being used as a tag question. It is equivalent to saying, "Let's go, ok?"

Now that we have looked at some examples of how shall is used, it is now time to go out and practice using the word. The only way to fully know how to use the word is to practice using it. The main thing to remember is to not be afraid of making a mistake. Most English speakers will notice that you are not a native English speaker and will show you signs that you have used the word in the wrong way. Don't get discouraged though. Even if you misuse the word...that is ok! One of the greatest ways to learn is by learning from your mistakes. The sooner you learn from your English slip-ups, the quicker you will master the language.

Some people might wonder why it is important to learn how to use shall if it is not that common in the United States? The answer to that is even though the word is not as frequently used as before in the U.S., it is still essential to know because it is regularly used by British and international speakers. Therefore, anybody who intends to work for a global corporation will in all probability come into contact with someone who uses shall on a regular basis and will therefore need to understand its meaning.

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