Modal verb
The modal verb shall
shall · never changes
B1Meaning: to make a suggestion or an offer; to talk about the future (formal) · Type: modal
Key points to remember
- Formal modal:
shall + base form - Mostly British: mainly with I and we
- Suggestion / offer:
Shall we...?to suggest doing something together - Negative:
shall notorshan't
Conjugation of the modal verb shall
Modal verbs never change: the same form for I / you / he / she / it / we / they, no -s in the 3rd person, and no to before the next verb.
Affirmative
subject + shall + base form
- We shall overcome.
- I shall return.
Negative
subject + shall not / shan't
- You shan't pass.
- We shall not surrender.
Question
shall + subject + base form?
- Shall we go?
- Shall I open the window?
Shall is mostly used in Shall we…? / Shall I…? (to suggest or offer something). The negative short form shan't is rare and mostly British.
How to use shall
1. Suggestions and offers (very common)
Use Shall we…? to suggest doing something together, and Shall I…? to offer to do something for someone.
- Shall we go?
- Shall I open the window?
2. Formal future (rare today)
This use is formal and literary.
- I shall return.
3. Legal obligation
In a contract, shall means must.
- The buyer shall pay within 30 days.
4. Strong prohibition
You shall not pass! is the famous line of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings. Thou shalt not steal comes from the Bible (thou is an old word for you).
- You shall not pass!
- Thou shalt not steal.
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Shall you help me? ❌
In modern English, shall is mostly used to suggest or offer, with I and we: Shall we dance?, Shall I help you? To ask someone for help, say Will you help me? or Could you help me?
2. Shall or will?
For the future, will is more common. Shall sounds formal or British. I will come ✓ (standard). I shall come ✓ (formal, UK).
3. Shall in contracts
In legal texts, shall expresses an obligation: The buyer shall pay means the buyer must pay. Shall not means must not. It is a special legal style.
Going further
Conjugating to shall is a key skill in the English contest
Every year, the Big Challenge tests the key English verbs. Register your students so they can check their level in a real contest.
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Related pages: shall
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Frequently asked questions
How do you use shall?+
Shall is a modal verb. Today you mostly use it to suggest or offer something: Shall we go? (Do you want to go now?) Shall I help you? (Do you want me to help you?) It is also a formal future: I shall return.
What is the difference between shall and will?+
Will is the standard way to talk about the future. Shall is more formal, and mostly British. In everyday speech, say I will or I'll. In formal English, you can say I shall. To make a suggestion, always use shall: Shall we start?
Is shall still used?+
Yes, but mostly in suggestions and offers (Shall we…?, Shall I…?) and in formal or legal texts. For the everyday future, people prefer will.
What is the short form of shall not?+
Shan't (pronounced /ʃɑːnt/). It is very British, and a little formal. In modern speech, people prefer won't for the future, or let's not to say no to a suggestion.
What is the difference between shall we and let's?+
They are almost the same. Shall we go? is a question: you ask the other person, and you wait for an answer. Let's go is a statement: you decide for the group.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/shall
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.