The Lost Art of the Great Speech: How to Write It * How to Deliver It

Shall/will

Except in such expressions as "Shall we dance?" and in legal documents, shall has almost disappeared from American English. Shall and should have been replaced by will and would. If you want to say "I shall be coming home soon" or "I should like to have a cup of coffee," go ahead, but you'll sound a bit odd to most ears. In legal documents, shall connotes a mandate. "The seller shall deliver a clear title to the property" means the seller must deliver a clear title.