The Volume Turned Up on Shall and Will
About four weeks ago at Classical Conversations, I overheard a mild debate over the proper grammatical use of shall.
Someone pinpointed it: Wow, if we abide by traditional grammar on the use of shall, then maybe Queen has misled a whole generation!
Here are the words to their 1977 legend:
Aah
Buddy you're a boy make a big noise
Playin' in the street gonna be a big man some day
You got mud on yo' face You big disgrace
Kickin' your can all over the place Singin'
We will we will rock you
We will we will rock you
Question: Does Queen get it wrong with the chorus, We will, we will rock you?
Traditional grammar says,
“For formal English, there is a rule which states that in the Simple Future, the auxiliary shall should be used in the first person, and the auxiliary will should be used in the second person and third person. Like the auxiliary will, the auxiliary shall is a modal auxiliary. Thus, in formal English, the Simple Future of the verb to work may be conjugated as follows:
|
I shall work |
| you will work |
| he will work |
| she will work |
| it will work |
| we shall work |
| they will work”
|
The future tense in the first person, we, takes shall, and that indicates simple futurity. Queen, therefore, should have used shall. However, grammarians also say will is permitted when stating a promise, intent, or obligation.
Were they singing about something more than simple futurity? If they were promising to rock, intending to rock, then Queen was in the right.
About 45 minutes ago, someone on KLDR radio Grants Pass torqued the volume on the Queen tune, and it reminded me of the will/shall discussion.
The writer and humorist, James Thurber, wrote: “Men who use shall west of the Appalachians are the kind who twirl canes and eat ladyfingers.”
G. Mark Sumpter
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