For practical purposes the distinction between shall and will may be exhibited as follows:—­

I. IN INDEPENDENT SENTENCES.

Simple Futurity.  Volition,
                              implying that the matter is within
                               the control of the speaker. 
I (we) shall \ I (we) will \
you will[76] } go. you shall } go.
he (they) will/ he (they) shall[77]/

[76] Sometimes used in a courteous command to a subordinate officer. [77] Also used in speaking of what is destined to take place, or of what is willed by some ruling power.

II.  IN DEPENDENT SENTENCES.

In noun clauses introduced by “that,” expressed or understood, if the noun clause and the principal clause have different subjects, the distinction between shall and will is the same as in independent sentences:  as,

My sister says (that) Dorothy will be glad to go with us. (Futurity; the same as, “Dorothy will be glad to go with us.”)

My sister says (that) Dorothy shall not be left behind. (Volition; the same as, “Dorothy shall not be left behind.”)

In all other dependent clauses, shall is in all persons the proper auxiliary to express simple futurity; will in all persons implies an exercise of will on the part of the subject of the clause:  as,

Dorothy says (that) she shall (futurity) be able to go with us.  She says (that) she will (volition) meet us at the corner.  If Bessie will come (volition), we will try to make her visit pleasant.  When He shall appear (futurity) we shall be like Him.

REMARK.—­It is worthy of notice that in noun clauses introduced by “that”—­clauses which are really indirect quotations—­the same auxiliary is generally used that would be used were the quotation in the direct form:  as, “My sister says, ‘Dorothy will be glad to go with you,’” “My sister says that Dorothy will be glad to go with us;” “Dorothy says, ’I shall be glad to go with you,’” “Dorothy says that she shall be glad to go with us.”  This remark, however, is not an adequate statement of the best usage, for it is not true of such sentences as 21, p. 76, and 8, 22, p. 77.

III.  IN QUESTIONS.

In the first person “will” is never proper, except when it repeats a question asked by another person.  “Will I go?” would mean, “Is it my intention to go?”—­a useless question, since the speaker must know his own will without asking.

In the second and third persons the auxiliary which is expected in the answer should be used.

Will you dine with me to-morrow?  I will. (Volition.) Shall you be glad to come?  I shall. (Futurity.) Will your brother be there, too?  He will.  (Futurity.)