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Peter Beale · March 24th 16, 11:07 PM posted to uk.transport.london

On 14-Mar-16 12:40 PM, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at
05:22:47 on Mon, 14 Mar 2016, 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.

I don't know why, but I was taught to use 'shall' for the first person
singular and plural, 'will' for the rest - with that being reversed for
the emphatic use - 'I will go to bed earlier', 'she shall go to the ball.'

Peter Beale