What <shall/should>I get him?

[sevengem]

My father’s birthday is coming. What shall I get him?

Is there any difference if I use "should" instead?

 

[MrMuselk]

Should:
Used to express the opinion that the action of the main verb is one of duty, or what is proper, or what is a good idea.
Shall:
Used to express plans or intentions concerning the main verb, esp. with regard to the future.

I would use should, because getting a father a present is proper, or can even be considered a duty(Who wouldn’t? ) Although you can use shall, I think should is better in this situation.

 

[sevengem]

Many thanks! So if the subject changes into "Tom" or some other friend, "shall" is the better choice?

 

[MrMuselk]

I think that whenever you want to do something that you have planned, or are planning to do, I would use should. For example, getting someone a present is a good idea, so I would use should. Also, if you are planning to do an outdoors activity, or do something you like, I would use should: What film should we watch?

 

[MrMuselk]

Also, shall is sometimes a bit more formal than should.

 

[dojibear]

My father’s birthday is coming. What shall I get him?

Is there any difference if I use "should" instead?

In my opinion, there is no difference (in AE). This is a question. With either "shall" or "should", the question means "What is your opinion about the gift I will choose?"

In other sentences there is a big difference between "should" and "will" and "shall". But not in this question.

 

[Loob]

For me, it would depend on the situation. If I was debating internally or asking someone for ideas, I'd probably say "What shall I get him?"
If I was asking someone for views on what I ought to buy, I'd say "What should I get him?"