'Will' & 'Shall': Future

Leo and Sophia are at home, preparing a surprise birthday party for their friend, Dan.

Sophia: Oh no! There is still so much to do. Dan’s party is at 7:00 PM.

Leo: Don’t worry, Sophia. I will help you. I will clean the living room.

Sophia: Thank you. Shall I make the birthday cake now?

Leo: Yes, please. And shall we blow up the balloons together after that?

Sophia: Great idea. We need some music too. I will choose a playlist on my phone. Oh, we don’t have any drinks.

Leo: I will run to the corner shop and buy some juice and cola. I won’t be long.

Sophia: Perfect. I will wait here and start the baking. Don’t forget the candles!

Leo: I won’t forget! See you in ten minutes.

In English, we have different ways to talk about the future. Two very common helper verbs are will and shall. They are both modal verbs, which means they never change form (no “-s” for third person) and are always followed by a base verb (infinitive without to).

Future ‘Will’

We use will (or the contraction ’ll) for quick decisions, offers, promises, and future facts.

Positive and Negative Forms

The forms are the same for all subjects:

• Positive: Subject + will / ’ll + base verb
  • I’ll help you. · She’ll arrive soon. · They will wait.
• Negative: Subject + will not / won’t + base verb
  • I won’t tell anyone. · It won’t rain today. · We won’t be late.

When to use ‘Will’

1. Quick (Spontaneous) Decisions: Decisions you make at the exact moment of speaking.
   • A: “What would you like to drink?”
   • B: “I ’ll have an orange juice, please.” (You decided just now).
2. Offers: Offering to do something for someone.
   • “Those bags look heavy. I ’ll carry them for you.”
3. Promises: Promising to do or not do something.
   • “Don’t worry, I won’t forget your birthday.” · “I ’ll call you tonight.”
4. Future Predictions or Facts: Things you think or know will happen.
   • “Tomorrow will be cold and wet.” · “You ’ll love this book.”

Questions with ‘Will’

To ask a question, put Will before the subject.

• Will you come to my party? → Yes, I will. / No, I won’t.
• Where will they stay? → They ’ll stay in a hotel.

Suggestions and Offers with ‘Shall’

In modern English, we only use shall in questions with I and we. We use it to make polite suggestions or offers.

1. Polite Offers (with I): Offering to do something.
   • Shall I open the window? (¿Quieres que abra la ventana?)
   • Shall I make some coffee? (¿Hago café?)
2. Polite Suggestions (with we): Suggesting an activity.
   • Shall we go to the cinema tonight? (¿Vamos al cine esta noche?)
   • What time shall we meet? (¿A qué hora quedamos?)

Common Mistakes for Spanish Speakers

• Using ‘will’ for planned future actions: If you have already planned to do something (e.g. bought a ticket or arranged a meeting), do NOT use will. Use be going to or the Present Continuous. Incorrect: I will travel to Madrid next Saturday. Correct: I am going to travel to Madrid next Saturday.
• Using ‘will’ with ‘to’: Incorrect: She will to come tomorrow. Correct: She will come tomorrow.