shall — used to express future tense, especially in formal contexts or when making promises/offers
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: used to express future tense, especially in formal contexts or when making promises/offers
Pronunciation (IPA): /ʃæl/
Example Sentences
- Shall we dance? asked the penguin to the fish.
- I shall never forget this embarrassing moment.
- Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? No, you're more like winter.
shall
VERB[/ʃæl/]
used to express future tense, especially in formal contexts or when making promises/offers
The groom declares 'I shall love you forever' during wedding vows
I shall call to all!
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Derived from Old English 'sceal', originally meaning 'obligation' or 'must', the word gradually evolved from denoting duty and necessity into a modal auxiliary verb expressing future tense and volition in Middle and Modern English.
Breakdown
sceal (Old English root meaning 'owe' or 'must') → shall (modal auxiliary expressing obligation, intention, or future action).
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“Shall we dance? asked the penguin to the fish.”
“I shall never forget this embarrassing moment.”
“Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? No, you're more like winter.”
“You shall not pass! shouted the grammar teacher.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
Want to master 19,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.