Re: Will

From: "Muke Tever"

> I think most of these 'denatured verbs' like 'will' still have the
original
> meaning in their concept, although they see different usages;  it's part
of
> how we can have constructions like 'I got finished' replace or live with
'I
> have finished'.
>
> What's the difference between 'will' and 'shall'?
When I learned it, it was "shall" as the unemphasized future for the first
person: "I shall go." "We shall go." and emphasized future for the second
and third persons: "Thou shalt not kill." "He shall not go." "Will",
conversely, was emphasized first person future (I *will* go.[which, in a
roundabout way, reiterates my point, I think]) and unemphasized second and
third person future (you will go). These distinctions, of course, are
virtually non-existent in modern American English. My impression has been
that British English has been a little more conservative in this area, but
perhaps American usage has been seeping in? British speakers? I'm dating
myself, but sentences like "I should have a glass of water if I were you."
have popped up in Brit movies (I've seen) of only (hah! only) thirty years
ago. Don't know the current status of things (but suspect it's on the way
out).

"Shall" seems to be connected with the meaning "ought to" (from the German
"sollen"). I think this original meaning has been better purged from the
futurity than "will" has from "be willing", but it still pops up in
expressions like "Shall I open the window?" (cue Kevin Costner: "Is this
future? I don't think so.") and "Let's go, shall we?".

Kou