AIBU?
Ok, hive, another fiction related question
Marlboroughlights1 · 20/10/2018 07:43
Dear amazing, helpful bunch,
My novel drags on. Another week, another draft.
One quick question
1959 ' I shall...' or 'I will' (I'll)...in dialogue? I've mixed it up. But now I'm wondering if it's always I shall...
Thanks xx
Heratnumber7 · 20/10/2018 08:22
Shall and will mean different things. What are you trying to decide?
"You shall go to the ball" = you can/you are able to/you are allowed to go to the ball.
"you will go to the ball" = either a statement of fact, or a degree of compulsion involved. (You will go to the ball, because I say so)
ushuaiamonamour · 20/10/2018 08:40
Best instructive example I've seen: 'No one shall help me. I will drown.' v 'No one will help me. I shall drown.'
No doubt you can find the rules that (used to, mostly) govern the usage easily. If you're really serious about writing it would do no harm to have a copy of Fowler anyway.
You're right that period makes a difference but I think social class would too and I know the form of English does; 'will', especially, is used differently in Hibernian English from UK English.
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