Home of English Grammar

Free Guide (Updated for 2023)

  • Home
  • Download Lessons
  • Grammar Rules
  • Online Exercises
  • Online Tools
    • Grammar Checker
    • Word Counter
  • Guides
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Lessons / ‘Can’ or ‘May’, ‘Will’ or ‘Shall’

‘Can’ or ‘May’, ‘Will’ or ‘Shall’

June 15, 2014 - pdf

Read the examples given below.

  • Can I come in, Sir?
  • May I come in, Sir?

Is one of these two sentences more correct than the other?

Well, actually, in modern English they are both considered acceptable.

May is a preferred in a formal style or when you want to be more polite. In less formal situations, can is perfectly acceptable.

Both can and may are used to ask for permission. However, a lot of people believe that can in incorrect in this context.

In their opinion, ‘can’ can only be used to talk about ability and capability.

Study the sentences given below.

  • Can you speak English?
  • Can he swim?

In modern English, both ‘can’ and ‘may’ can be used to talk about permission. However, ‘may’ cannot be used to talk about ability.

‘Shall’ or ‘will’?

In British English, ‘shall’ is used with first person pronouns to form the simple future tense.

  • I shall come.
  • We shall be late.

With second and third person pronouns, ‘will’ is used to form the simple future.

  • He will come.
  • She will pass.
  • You will get the job.

However, when it comes to expressing ideas such as determination or threat, these rules are reversed. That means ‘will’ is used with first person pronouns and ‘shall’ is used with second and third person pronouns.

  • You shall pay for this. (Threat)
  • I will do it. (Determination)

However, these distinctions are no longer observed. ‘Shall’ is quite uncommon in American English. In British English, too, it is becoming much less common.

Who or whom

‘Who’ is used in the subject position. ‘Whom’ is used in the object position.

  • Who said that? (NOT Whom said that?)
  • Whom do you want to meet? (Here ‘whom’ is the object of the verb ‘meet’.)

Some people still follow these rules, but there are several others who never use ‘whom’. In modern English, the standard practice is to use ‘who’ in all situations.

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
1,267,772 
647,105 

Check Your Grammar

GrammarCheck.net - Try online
Hint → Bookmark GrammarCheck for future use.

Latest Exercises

  • Animal Idioms September 18, 2023
  • Less vs. Fewer September 17, 2023
  • If, Unless, Providing, As Long As September 17, 2023
  • Identifying Conditionals September 16, 2023
  • Conjunctions Quiz September 14, 2023
  • English Vocabulary Exercise September 13, 2023
  • Prefixes Exercise September 12, 2023
  • Tenses Quiz September 10, 2023
  • Gap Filling Vocabulary Exercise September 8, 2023

Topics

  • Adjectives
  • Adverbs
  • Business Writing
  • Commas
  • Conjunctions
  • Creative Writing
  • Difference
  • Essay Writing
  • Exercises
  • Learning
  • Lessons
  • Nouns
  • Prepositions
  • Pronouns
  • Proofreading
  • Punctuation
  • Quiz
  • Spelling
  • Style Guide
  • Teaching
  • Terms
  • Verbs
  • Words
  • Writing

Quiz

  • Can you correct these 14 basic grammar mistakes?
  • What kind of writer are you?

Copyright © 2023 · EnglishGrammar.org
Disclaimer · Privacy Policy · Sitemap