'Shall' vs. 'Have to' in documents

[Alexander Borisov]

Hello,

 

As I understand, 'shall' and 'have to' have the same meaning. Something obligated to do/not to do somewhat. Could interchange each other. Am I right?

 

Thanks.

[Minoo]

Hello Alex,

 

In documents, yes, they mean the same thing. 'shall' is a lot more formal than 'have to'. That's why legal contracts often use that form.

 

Be careful that in less formal documents, e.g. a report, a proposal, etc. (and of course in spoken English), 'You shall do this!' sounds highly authoritative, and should be avoided except in rare cases, e.g. an angry parent speaking to a child.