A First Book in Writing English

by Edwin Herbert Lewis

It is to be kept in mind that ill and well are not always adverbs. They are often adjectives; and if one says “I feel ill,” or “I feel well,” one is using the adjective ill or the adjective well.

Oral Exercise.—Which of the italicized words is preferable in the following sentences? (a) “This old stern-wheel boat rides over the waves quite as easy (easily) as any propeller, if not easier (more easily).” (b) “This old chaise rides as easy (easily) as any modern one.” (c) “An old shoe feels easy (easily).” (d) “As Billings read that passage it sounded different (differently) from the way in which the Colonel read it.” (e) “Do you feel good (well) after your night’s rest?” (f) “I’ve been to church and, for me, really feel good (well).” (g) “He voted independently (independent).” (h) “Home, sweet home” sounds well (good) to the ears of the American abroad.

Shall or Will.—Most Americans, like most Scotchmen, use the word will too frequently, to the neglect of shall.

Shall is from Old English sceal (skayʹ-al) and once meant owe, be obliged. It still may mean the same thing, when not used as a mere auxiliary. That is, should often means ought, which was once the past tense of owe. It still can mean “to be obliged.” “You shall,” “he shall,” are expressions that imply obligation, imposed by the speaker. “I shall at last die” still has in it the idea of being compelled. But this phrase illustrates happily one way by which shall with the first person has come to be felt as a mere future. Nearly always to-day I shall names a voluntary act; but the volition is usually not emphasized; the speaker has usually made up his mind before he says I shall, and the words simply foretell the future act. “I shall be there” incidentally announces the speaker’s intention, but the chief thing it announces is that the speaker will be there. It is probably the future fact that is of interest to his friends. Ordinarily, therefore, shall in the first person means futurity more than it means volition.

Will is from wilian (wilʹ-yan), meaning to wish, to will. It frequently means that to-day, though in the second and third persons it is also used for the simple future. “I will” always implies volition. I will implies either deliberate intention, distinct wish, or distinct willingness. “I will go” means “I am determined to go,” or, “I wish to go,” or, “I am willing to go.” Frequently such a phrase implies that there is opposition or an obstacle. “You will,” “they will,” usually lack the volitive idea; they simply foretell that which you, they, are about to do. Yet you will, he will, they will may still mean you are determined, etc., if applied to a being that has the power of choice. Here one has but to emphasize the will, and the old meaning is brought back. Thus: “He will persist in doing so, though all his friends deplore it.”

Our first rule will accordingly be as follows: To indicate mere futurity, use shall in the first person, will in the second and third. Examples: “I shall be glad to come. You and the others will find me on hand at the pier.” So far, so good. But note that this rule also applies when the speaker is made to report his own words in indirect narrative. “Abner says that he shall be glad to come, and that you and the others will find him on hand at the pier.” Just so if the indirect discourse is in the past, and it is still the speaker who reports his own words. “Abner said that he should be glad to come, and that you and the others would find him at the pier.” All this seems sensible enough, for the speaker is merely made to foretell his own future act. The rule is too often broken. “Abner said he was afraid he’d miss the boat.” Here the contraction he’d stands (as always) for he would, a form that is wrong in this place for he should.

The same rule applies when the indirect narrative is merely implied; that is, when instead of such a word as say we have think, or fear, or believe. “Luke thinks he shall miss his boat,” is correct; so is, “Luke feared he should miss the boat.”

Suppose, now, it is no longer what Luke said about his own future act, but what somebody else said about it. “Evarts remarked that Luke was ready and would hurry to the pier; but Evarts feared that Luke would miss the boat.” The shall gives place naturally enough to will. After verbs of saying, thinking, telling, and the like, shall (or should) is the proper auxiliary if the future act is foretold by the actor.

Now we are ready to ask how these words should be used in questions. A very simple rule is enough for most purposes: In the second and third persons, use in the question the form you expect in the answer.