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Old March 14th 16, 02:18 PM posted to uk.transport.london
Roland Perry Roland Perry is offline
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First recorded activity at LondonBanter: Aug 2003
Posts: 10,125
Default Underground grammar fail

In message , at 13:58:27 on Mon, 14 Mar
2016, d remarked:

Used Mornington Crescent station for the first time in years today, and
was disappointed to find that the mechanical voice doesn't know the
difference between 'will' and 'shall'

Could you perhaps explain the difference?


"Will" is a mere prediction, "Shall" implies that the speaker is somehow
complicit in making it happen.


A good definition. Though I think its safe to say the distinction is pretty
blurred these days and they tend to be used interchangably a lot of the time.


cont'd: "Dogs Must/Shall/Will be carried" - on escalators.

Although the latter means "are allowed to be", rather than an
instruction to carry dogs (whether one has one handy or not...)
--
Roland Perry