Grammar: Will/ Shall/ Be going to

Read this conversation. Michael and Emily are looking at the menus in a restaurant:

Michael:   What do you fancy, Emily?

Emily:       I really don't know. I haven't decided yet. There's so much choice.

Michael:   Shall we have a starter, or do you just want a main course?

Emily:       I don't mind. I'm not really keen on starters. I'd rather have a dessert.

Michael:   OK, let's do that.

a waiter appears

Waiter:     Are you ready to order?

Michael:   No, we haven't chosen anything yet. We're still thinking.

Waiter:     Shall I get you something to drink?

Michael:   Oh, I haven't even looked at the drinks yet. Err... Shall we get a bottle of wine, Emily?

Emily:       Yes, I think so.

Michael:   We'll have a bottle of wine, please.

Waiter:     Red or white?

Emily:       We'll have white, please.

Waiter:     I recommend the Chardonnay wine.

Emily:       Fine, we'll order that.

the waiter leaves

Michael:   Well, I think I have decided now. I'm going to have the fillet steak with mashed potatoes and vegetables, followed by chocolate pudding. What about you? What are you going to order?

Emily:       I'm going to get sausage, egg and chips.

Michael:   Oh. Delicious. With or without beans?

Emily:       Oh, I'll definitely have beans, I think.

Sausage, egg, chips and beans. Delicious!

In this conversation, the three people make offers, suggestions and decisions. What language do they use for: suggestions/offers?

We use shall I/ shall we + base form...? to make suggestions and offers.

Shall we get a bottle of wine? Shall we have a starter?

Shall I get you something to drink?

We only use shall with I/we. We use will with you/he/they eg Will you speak to Jackie, or shall I?

for: decisions

We use will and be going to to make decisions. If we decide now, we use will. If we have already decided earlier, in the past, we use be going to.

We'll have a bottle of wine, please. We'll have white, please. I'll definitely have beans, I think.

I'm going to have the fillet steak. I'm going to get egg and chips.

    

Notice what Michael says at the start of the conversation: What do you fancy? We often use to fancy in informal conversations to mean to want: What do you fancy? = What do you want/ what would you like?
Here is some practice: 1. http://www.better-english.com/grammar/willgo.htm
2. http://elt.oup.com/student/englishfile/preint/a_grammar/file03/grammar03_c01?cc=gb&selLanguage=en
3. http://elt.oup.com/student/englishfile/preint/a_grammar/file03/grammar03_c02?cc=gb&selLanguage=en
4. http://elt.oup.com/student/englishfile/preint/a_grammar/file03/grammar03_b01?cc=gb&selLanguage=en
5. http://elt.oup.com/student/englishfile/preint/a_grammar/file03/grammar03_b02?cc=gb&selLanguage=en