Form
To form affirmative questions we switch the order of the subject (in this example ‘we’) and the modal auxilliary verb ‘shall’:
We shall call Clem. →
Meaning and Use
In this example, the word ‘shall’ is used to make a suggestion or ask if it’s a good idea to phone a man called ‘Clem’. This usage is usually more formal and more common in British English. It’s often used with ‘I’ or ‘we’ to indicate future actions. So, in this context, the speaker is suggesting (or possibly offering) to call Clem and is seeking agreement or confirmation from the listener.
Shall I tell you what I believe?
The phrase “shall I tell” could be used to ask for permission or suggest an action. The speaker is asking if the listener would like to hear about the speaker’s beliefs. It’s a polite way of offering to share information or an opinion. The overall tone of the sentence can be seen as courteous and considerate.
CEFR Profiling Research
In the English Vocabulary Profile, there are question form entries for the modal verb ‘shall’:
shall I/we…? = A2 used to make an offer or suggestion
QUESTION = A2 used to ask someone what to do
I/we shall… = B1 FORMAL used to say what you are going to do in the future
Questions with shall are difficult to differentiate across A2 and B1 in the English Grammar Profile. They also overlap across categories. Here we give their examples with the details of the grammar entry. Whether or not advice is being sought after, is at both levels. The main formal difference is that most of the A2 points are yes/no questions.
B1 point 113 in the category of MODALITY:
‘shall’ to seek advice.
- What shall I buy for her wedding?
- What shall I do with next week’s work?
A2 point 32 in MODALITY:
shall with ‘we’ to make suggestions.
- Shall we go?
- Shall we go to a Korean restaurant after the film?
A2 Point 45 in MODALITY:
‘shall I’ to make offers.
- Shall I go and buy some cake and crackers?
- Shall I buy you one?
A2 point 17 in MODALITY:
shall question form
- Shall we meet at half-past 4 in front of my house?
- What time shall I come?
- And what shall I bring to the party? (seeking advice is B1!)
A2 point 19 in the category of FUTURE:
future simple (with will and shall) QUESTIONS
- And what shall I bring to the party? (seeking advice is B1!)
A2 point 12 in the category of FUTURE:
future simple (with will and shall) OFFERS WITH ‘SHALL’
A2 point 15 in FUTURE:
future simple (with will and shall) SUGGESTIONS WITH ‘SHALL’
- Shall we go to my friend’s house to get it?
- Shall we go there together?
A2 point 14 in the category of CLAUSES:
AFFIRMATIVE INTERROGATIVE, WITH MODAL AUXILIARY VERBS (‘yes/no’ forms)
- Shall we meet at 7.30 pm?
The most common pronouns & verbs used in “Shall” questions
A search in iWeb for:
shall _P _V
Here’s a very complex example:
How shall I go, my fate to learn, and, oh! how taught shall I return?
- “How shall I go”: The speaker is questioning the manner or way in which they should proceed or move forward.
- “my fate to learn”: The speaker is indicating that they are on a journey to discover their destiny or future.
- “and, oh! how taught shall I return”: The speaker anticipates that they will return from this journey having learned a great deal, possibly through challenging or difficult experiences.