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EagerSeeker Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

Do I/we... vs Shall I/we...

0Hey guys,02br
02br
00I have problems with understanding the differences between shall and do structures in the same kinds of questions.02br
02br
00I feel that I could use both structures to express the same thing or what do you think about the following02br
02br
00examples:02br
02br
001) Hey, shall I send you the book? / Hey, do I send you the book?02br
02br
002) Hey, shall we go to lunch? / Hey, do we go to lunch?02br
02br
003 Hey, what shall we do this weekend? / Hey, what do we do this weekend?02br
02br
00Thanks 050010id1
  

Top answer

0In (1) and (2), I'd use "shall" to propose doing the thing mentioned and ask whether the other person agreed. 02br 02br 00(3) is similar. 0-

— Mr Wordy

  • 0In (1) and (2), I'd use "shall" to propose doing the thing mentioned and ask whether the other person agreed.
  • 02br 02br 00(3) is similar.
  • 0-
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26 Answers
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0In (1) and (2), I'd use "shall" to propose doing the thing mentioned and ask whether the other person agreed. I'd use "do" only if there was a set procedure to be followed, in order to ask whether I/we now ought to do the thing mentioned.02br
02br
00(3) is similar. The "shall" form asks for the other person's ideas; the "do" form suggests that there's a timetable of activiti
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1blockquote
01cite10Mr Wordy12cite12br
10In (1) and (2), I'd use "shall" to propose doing the thing mentioned and ask whether the other person agreed. I'd use "do" only if there was a set procedure to be followed, in order to ask whether I/we now ought to do the thing mentioned.12br
12br
10(3) is similar. The "shall" form asks f
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1i00Hey, do I send you the book? [Not quite good. Use for obligations, requests: 01b00Should I send you the book?02b02i02br
02br
01i00Hey, do we go to lunch? [Not quite good. Use: 01b00Are we going to lunch? 02b02i02br
01i00Hey, what do we do this weekend? [Not quite good. For planned act
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0
1blockquote
01cite10EagerSeeker12cite10So do you mean the "shall" is more polite way to ask than the "do" since it takes the other person's ideas into consideration with more interest? In that case, I guess I know what the similar expression is in my own language. 15012blockquote
12br
00Not really. To me, it's not a more poli
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1blockquote
01cite10Marius Hancu12cite11i10Hey, do I send you the book? [Not quite good. Use for obligations, requests: 11b10Should I send you the book?12b12i12br
12br
12br
11i10Hey, do we go to lunch? [Not quite good. Use: 11b10Are we going to lunch? 12b12i1
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0Well, I won't repeat stuff which already exists at the site. 02br
00Do your job, do some searches for02br
01b00simple present02b02br
00or 02br
01b00simple present continuous02br
02b02br
00(top right Search corner) 02br
00and read some of the threads there. 0-
0
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0 Another reference:02br
00Simple Present02br
0500230hrefhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/simplepresent.html
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0 01blockquote
01cite10EagerSeeker12cite101)11font10 Hey12font10, shall I send you the book? / 11font10Hey12font10, do I send you the book?12br
12br
102) 11font10Hey,12font10 shall we go to lunch? /
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0I liked that, CJ050010id1
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1blockquote
01cite10CalifJim12cite11blockquote
11cite20EagerSeeker22cite22br
201)21font20 Hey22font20, shall I send you the book? / 21font20Hey22font20, do I send you the book?22br
22br
202) 21font
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