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Shall or will?
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Nik
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Apr 19, 2018 09:55AM

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(a) 1st person - shall is simple future, will expresses determination, e.g. I will do that means it shall be done.
(b) 2nd and third person - just to be confusing, they are reversed, hence the subtlety of my example.
My version of Fowler supports that for English English. Of course contractions lose the subtlety, and as Fowler suggests, the subtlety is lost on many, and may well be on the verge of being lost altogether ( 😢)

Dear Nik, I am not an English teacher but sensitive to the nuances of each word and think there is a significant difference between
shall I and will I . Shall I implies a certain question of doubt as to whether I want to do something and will I denotes that even if I
want to do something will I do it/