Shall, Should

Shall, Should
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Highlights

Shall and should are modal auxiliary verbs like can, could, may, might and are used with other words of infinitives (of verbs): she shall arrive; she should arrive, and note the difference: she will arrive, she would arrive. 

“Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.” –Buddha

Shall and should are modal auxiliary verbs like can, could, may, might and are used with other words of infinitives (of verbs): she shall arrive; she should arrive, and note the difference: she will arrive, she would arrive.

Shall is a modal auxiliary verb: a helping verb (we shall go to heaven or hell, or just to the ground), and also helps to form questions (shall we go to the zoo?)

Shall is the present singular and plural, and its past tense is should. Shall is used to say or express about something that is expected to happen in the future (he shall visit you, he should visit you). Shall is used to ask for an opinion:
Shall is used to give a command.

We shall all die, one day.

We should all die, one day unless proven otherwise.

Shall is used to express an exhortation: You shall study now. You should study now.

Shall is used to express compulsoriness, mandatories such as in legal matters, regulations of government bodies and agencies, directives from governing bodies or authorities in the society.

You shall not carry firearms all the time because there are rules and regulations.

Shall is used to express that you will allow or permit something to happen, something to take place: I shall excuse you for once. I should excuse you for once.

The world shall allow you to live a life you choose without annoying or disturbing those around you.

The world should allow you to live a life you choose without annoying or disturbing those around you.

Shall is used with 2nd and 3rd persons (he shall, they shall) to indicate a promise about something (he shall know it soon, they shall be informed).

“I expect to pass through this world but once, any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” –Stephen Grellet

Note that will and shall are used in some contexts interchangeably reflecting the actual usage but the puritans resent it insisting on their actual usage.

Shakespeare in Hamlet used shall which meant will go: ‘I your commission forthwith dispatch,/And he to England shall along with you./The terms of estate may not endure/Hazard so dangerous as doth hourly grow/Out of his lunacies.’

And, the debate continues over the usage of will and shall.

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