• In modern English the traditional difference between shall and will has almost disappeared, and shall is not used very much at all, especially in NAmE. Shall is now only used with I and we, and often sounds formal and old-fashioned. 在现代英语中，shall 和 will 的传统区别几乎不复存在。shall 基本上不怎么用，尤其在美式英语中。shall 目前只与 I 和 we 连用，且听起来常显得正式并过时。：People are more likely to say 人们更可能说：◆I'll(= I will) be late. 我要迟到了。and 和：◆'You'll(= you will) apologize immediately.' 'No I won't!' “你赶快赔个不是。” “不，我不！”
• In BrE shall is still used with I and we in questions or when you want to make a suggestion or an offer. 在英式英语中，shall 仍然与 I 和 we 连用，用于疑问句、提出建议或提供帮助：◆What shall I wear to the party? 我穿什么衣服去参加聚会呢？◆Shall we order some coffee? 我们要些咖啡好吗？◆I'll drive, shall I? 我来开车好吗？

There are various ways of offering and accepting help. 表达提供和接受帮助有多种方式：

• ◆ Would you like me to help you with that? 你要我来帮你做这件事吗？
• ◆ Can I give you a hand? 要我帮一把吗？
• ◆ Can I help you with that? 要我帮你做这件事吗？
• ◆ Shall I carry that for you? (BrE or formal, NAmE) 我来帮你提着它好不好？
• ◆ Would it help if I spoke to Julie before you call her? 你给朱莉打电话之前我先跟她谈谈是否有帮助？
• ◆ Let me take your bag. 我帮你拿包吧。
• ◆ If there's anything I can do (to help), let me know. 要是我能帮上什么忙的话，请告诉我。

Responses 回应：

• ◆ That's very kind/nice/generous/thoughtful of you. Thank you. 你真是太好了/太慷慨了/太周到了。谢谢你。
• ◆ It's all right, thank you. I can manage/do it. 没事儿，谢谢你。我应付得了。
• ◆ Thanks. That would be very helpful. 谢谢，那会非常有用。

• The modal verbs are can, could, may, might, must, ought to, shall, should, will and would. Dare, need, have to and used to also share some of the features of modal verbs. * can、could、may、might、must、ought to、shall、should、will 和 would 均为情态动词。dare、need、have to 和 used to 亦具有情态动词的某些特性。
• Modal verbs have only one form. They have no -ing or -ed forms and do not add -s to the 3rd person singular form. 情态动词只有一种形式，没有 -ing 或 -ed 形式，第三人称单数也不加 -s：◆He can speak three languages. 他会说三种语言。◆She will try and visit tomorrow. 她明天将设法去参观。
• Modal verbs are followed by the infinitive of another verb without to. The exceptions are ought to, have to and used to. 情态动词后跟不带 to 的动词不定式，但 ought to、have to 和 used to 例外：◆You must find a job. 你必须找到一份工作。◆You ought to stop smoking. 你应当戒烟。◆I used to smoke but I gave up two years ago. 我过去抽烟，但两年前就戒了。
• Questions are formed without do / does in the present, or did in the past. 疑问句现在时不用 do/does，过去时不用 did：◆Can I invite Mary? 我可以邀请玛丽吗？◆Should I have invited Mary? 我本该邀请玛丽吗？
• Negative sentences are formed with not or the short form -n't and do not use do / does or did. 否定句用 not 或简约式 -n't，不用 do/does 或 did。

You will find more help with how to use modal verbs at the dictionary entries for each verb. 情态动词的不同用法可参考本词典里各情态动词词条。