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Hela Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

by the time

Dear teachers,

Is it possible to add another clause Emotion: idea to the following sentence? If yes, in which tense should the verb be? Could it be something elsethan (correct ???) the future?

By the time he comes, we will be having a meeting / will have had a meeting..... (it is possible to add something else here? In which tense ?)

Best regards,
Hela

PS: It would be great if I could have an answer today.
  

Top answer

Yes, and you have a few choices: By the time he arrives, we will be having our meeting and eating the birthday cake, the first item on our agenda. ) By the time he arrives, we will be having our meeting and (he can join us in progress but) we will have (already) eaten the birthday cake, the first item on our agenda. By the time he arrives, we will have (already) had our meeting and will already be carrying out our action items (concurrent with his arrival).

— BarbaraPA

  • Yes, and you have a few choices: By the time he arrives, we will be having our meeting and eating the birthday cake, the first item on our agenda.
  • ) By the time he arrives, we will be having our meeting and (he can join us in progress but) we will have (already) eaten the birthday cake, the first item on our agenda.
  • By the time he arrives, we will have (already) had our meeting and will already be carrying out our action items (concurrent with his arrival).
  • By the time he arrives, we will have (already) had our meeting and have (already) voted on the issue he is concerned with.
  • )
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5 Answers
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Yes, and you have a few choices:

By the time he arrives, we will be having our meeting and eating the birthday cake, the first item on our agenda. (He arrives in time to participate in both, which are ongoing at the moment of his arrival.)

By the time he arrives, we will be having our meeting and (he can join us in progress but) we will have (already) eaten the birthday cake, the
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HelaDear teachers,


Could it be something else than (correct ???) the future?


PS: It would be great if I could have an answer today.

Do you mean something like this, Hela?

"By the time he comes, we have usually had our meeting."
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HelaDear teachers,


Is it possible to add another clause Emotion: idea to the following sentence? If yes
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Thank you all for your answers.

Milky, what does you sentence mean, please?

Pinenut, thank you for having corrected me.

Grammar Geek, in all the examples you gave me the clauses you added were all in the future; does it mean that no other tense can be used there?

Does my PS above "PS: It would be great if I could have an answer today." sound impolite (sarcastic
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Hela
Thank you all for your answers.

Milky, what does you sentence mean, please?

<"By the time he comes, we have usually had our meeting.">

He comes regulary, but our meetings are normally finished before he arrives. So, for example, maybe he's always too late for the meetings or they have the meeting before he comes so as
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