Should I go there? OR Shall I go there?

[bit3034]

Can we use "should" instead of "shall" in an interrogative sentence?

Eg. Which among the following interrogative sentences is correct ?

Should I go there?
OR
Shall I go there?

 

[SoothingDave]

In normal conversational English, you could forget that the word "shall" even exists. Outside of legal contexts ("The sheriff shall issue a permit") and certain set phrases it's not in common use today.

 

[teechar]

I shall pretend that I haven't read that reply by SoothingDave. "Shall" is certainly not dead, at least not in several varieties (excluding AmE).

Can we use "should" instead of "shall" in an interrogative sentence?

Google "shall vs should".

Which among of the following interrogative sentences is correct?

Should I go there?
OR
Shall I go there?

They are both possible, but they suit different contexts.

 

[emsr2d2]

In normal conversational English, you could forget that the word "shall" even exists. Outside of legal contexts ("The sheriff shall issue a permit") and certain set phrases it's not in common use today.

That's the case in AmE, clearly, but "shall" is commonly used in BrE.

 

[probus]

@bit3034

As teechar said above, you need to tell us more about the context or circumstances in which you intend to use those words. Then we'll be able to help you.

 

[Tarheel]

Interesting. If I have ever used "shall" it was decades ago.

 

[probus]

I agree with @SoothingDave that shall is uncommon in AmE. But it does occur in some special cases, such as:

1. Shall we go?

2. Shall we? That's an invitation usually addressed to a close friend.

3. We Shall Overcome, a folk song made famous by Pete Seeger during the civil rights movement.

4. We shall see.

Possibly 1, 2, and 4 are more Canadian than American.

 

[bit3034]

I shall pretend that I haven't read that reply by SoothingDave. "Shall" is certainly not dead, at least not in several varieties (excluding AmE).

Google "shall vs should".

They are both possible, but they suit different contexts.

@teechar any reason for striking out "among"?

 

[probus]

Among is purely superfluous there. The question is correct and natural without it.