Will and Shall 1

Decisions Made at the Moment of Speaking

Use I’ll (= I will) when you decide to do something right now, as you are speaking. You are announcing your decision, not reporting a plan you made earlier.

• “The printer is out of paper.” — “I’ll get some from the supply room.”
• “What would you like to drink?” — ”I’ll have a coffee, please.”
• “Did you email the client?” — “Oh no, I forgot. I’ll do it now.”

Do not use the present simple for these on-the-spot decisions:

• I’ll call him now. (not I call him now)

You will often hear I think I’ll … and I don’t think I’ll …:

• I’m a bit hungry. I think I’ll grab something from the cafeteria.
• I don’t think I’ll stay for the after-work event tonight. I’m too tired.

In spoken English, will not is usually shortened to won’t:

• I can see you’re busy, so I won’t stay long.

Offers, Agreements, and Promises

I’ll is common in three specific situations:

Situation	Example
Offering to do something	That box looks heavy. I’ll carry it for you.
Agreeing to do something	“Can you send this report to the team?” — “Sure, I’ll send it this afternoon.”
Promising to do something	Thanks for covering my shift. I’ll pay you back on Friday. / I won’t tell anyone what happened. I promise.

Won’t for Refusals

Use won’t to say that somebody (or something) refuses to do something:

• I’ve tried to explain the new process to him, but he won’t listen.
• The projector won’t turn on. (= the projector “refuses” to turn on)

Will you …? can also work as a polite request — it means “please do it”:

• *Will you please turn the volume down? I’m on a call.*

Will vs. Present Continuous (Already Arranged)

Do not use will to talk about something that has already been decided or arranged. Use the present continuous or “going to” instead.

• I’m flying to London next Monday. (not I’ll fly to London next Monday — the ticket is booked)

Compare:

Already decided before	Decided now
I’m meeting the supplier tomorrow morning.	“I need to talk to him too.” — “OK, I’ll meet you both at 10:30.”

Shall I …? / Shall We …?

Shall mostly appears in questions: Shall I …? and Shall we …?

Use these to ask whether it is OK to do something or to ask for a suggestion:

• *Shall I open the window?* (= Do you want me to open it?)
• I’ve got no budget left. What shall I do? (= What do you suggest?)
• ”Shall we go to lunch?” — “Just a minute, I’m not ready yet.”
• “Where shall we hold the meeting?” — “Let’s book room 3.”

Compare Shall I …? and Will you …? — they point in opposite directions:

Question	Meaning
Shall I close the door?	Do you want me to close it?
Will you close the door?	I want you to close it.

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