Shall: Difference between revisions
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A verb that seems so safe - so forensic - fusty, old-fashioned, goodie-two-shoes - but yet tantalisingly vague. | A verb that seems so safe - so forensic - fusty, old-fashioned, goodie-two-shoes - but yet tantalisingly vague. | ||
It's vague in that it could be an airily floated aspiration of future — “I say,” said Jenkins, absent-mindedly knocking out his pipe on a passing child’s head, “I do believe I shall go to the theatre tonight!” | |||
On the other hand “shall” can be a stentorian direction to carry out a binding duty: “You ''shall'' do the dishes, young lady and you shall do them ''NOW''”. | |||
Lawyers like the latter, and spray it around like they're standing behind a Gatling gun. But here's the problem. Conjugation. | |||
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'''Airily floated future aspiration''' | |||
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'''Stentorian command''' | |||
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:I '''shall''' <br> | |||
:You ''will'' <br> | |||
:He she or it ''will'' <br> | |||
:We '''shall''' <br> | |||
:You ''will'' <br> | |||
:They ''will'' <br> | |||
| | |||
:I '''will''' <br> | |||
:You ''shall'' <br> | |||
:He she or it ''shall'' <br> | |||
:We '''will''' <br> | |||
:You ''shall'' <br> | |||
:They ''shall'' <br> | |||
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{{tablebottom}} | |||
If, in other words, you’re going to be a dick about it, | |||
{{plainenglish}} | {{plainenglish}} | ||
Revision as of 18:45, 18 November 2016
A verb that seems so safe - so forensic - fusty, old-fashioned, goodie-two-shoes - but yet tantalisingly vague.
It's vague in that it could be an airily floated aspiration of future — “I say,” said Jenkins, absent-mindedly knocking out his pipe on a passing child’s head, “I do believe I shall go to the theatre tonight!”
On the other hand “shall” can be a stentorian direction to carry out a binding duty: “You shall do the dishes, young lady and you shall do them NOW”.
Lawyers like the latter, and spray it around like they're standing behind a Gatling gun. But here's the problem. Conjugation.
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Airily floated future aspiration |
Stentorian command |
|
|
If, in other words, you’re going to be a dick about it,
Plain English Anatomy™ Noun | Verb | Adjective | Adverb | Preposition | Conjunction | Latin | Germany | Flannel | Legal triplicate | Nominalisation | Murder your darlings