Filling in

Article II

Section 1

The executive Power shall be vested in 1. ........ He shall hold his Office during the Term of 2.
......Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as
follows:

(...)

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the
Adoption of this Constitution, shall be 3. ...... to the Office of President; neither shall any
person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of 4. .......Years, and
been 5. ......... Years a Resident within the United States.

(...)

Section 2

The President shall be 6. .......... in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the
Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may
require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments,
upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to
Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

Source: The Constitution of the USA

Key:

1. a President of the United States of America

2. four

3. eligible

4. thirty five

5. fourteen

6. Commander

Question:

What does the word „shall“ mean in the previous context?

In legal texts such as statutes, delegated legislation or contracts, shall in the third person
expresses that an act is obligatory and binding. The Czech language does not usually have to use
any auxiliary in this sence, but rather it just uses the simple present:

The President shall hold his office during the term of four years.

Prezident zastává svůj úřad po dobu čtyř let.[1]

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[1] Tozzi, Kamila. Přidalová, Eva. Legal English: Part I. Praha, Leges, 2008, 208 s.