Do you use the future tense in an adverbial clause?

Question

Transfer students must have completed one full-time semester at Clemson University before they will be considered for University scholarships.

I think 'will be considered' should be changed to 'are considered' in the above sentence.

What do you think?

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Either tense is possible. will be considered is fine because the main clause refers to a time in the future in the context of a stated rule. XYZ must happen before ABC will be done.
Stated differently, the officials who wrote this are saying that they will not consider these students for scholarships until (after) they have completed ...
The sentence shows a curious blending of the will not of the future and the will not of refusal.
CJ

Pinenut · Answer

CalifJimEither tense is possible. will be considered is fine because the main clause refers to a time in the future in the context of a stated rule. XYZ must happen before ABC will be done.
Stated differently, the officials who wrote this are saying that they will not consider these students for scholarships until (after) they have completed ...
The sentence shows a curious blending of the will not of the future and the will not of refusal.
CJ

CalifJim,

You may know what I don't know, but according to the grammars I have reviewed the following two points can be made:

'before they will be considered' is a time adverbial clause
If the time adverbial clause referes to somthing that will happen or exists in the future, you use the simple present tense, not a future tense.

I am not sure if you pay any attention to grammar. Perhaps you know some exceptions to the rule. Which one is it?

BarbaraPA · Answer

I agree with the sentence as written first. It's possible not all transfer students are automatically considered, which is what is implied with the "are" construction. Probably they have to apply, submit a form, whatever, but until they have that full-time semester, they won't be... or rather, after they have completed that full-time semester, they will be.

Thethenothere123 · Answer

All I can say is that's it's a commonly used and accepted construction. [Shrug.]

Milky · Answer

PinenutCalifJim,

You may know what I don't know, but according to the grammars I have reviewed the following two points can be made:

'before they will be considered' is a time adverbial clause
If the time adverbial clause referes to somthing that will happen or exists in the future, you use the simple present tense, not a future tense.

I am not sure if you pay any attention to grammar. Perhaps you know some exceptions to the rule. Which one is it?

Would you suggest this as a "correct" alternative?

Transfer students must complete one full-time semester at Clemson University before they are considered for University scholarships.

Believer · Answer

Hi,

I think I would write like these as alternative versions:

Transfer students must complete one full-time semester or they will not be considered for University scholarship.

Transfer students must have completed one full-time semester before they are to be considered for University scholarships.

Transter students need to have completed one full-time semester before they are eligible for consideration for University scholarship.

Transfer students must have completed one full-time semester by the last day of the semster before they are allowed to apply for University scholarship.

As to CJ's response, I will side with him and say both tenses are possible? Why? Mostly due to the reason that I have heard that sentential structure very often.

CalifJim · Answer

If the time adverbial clause referes to somthing that will happen or exists in the future, you use the simple present tense, not a future tense.

You have stated a very important rule here:

Look before you leap. (not before you will leap)
He is going to the bank before he has dinner. (not before he will have dinner)
The Joneses will buy a new car before they take their vacation. (not before they will take)
Will you set the alarm before the children go to bed? (not will go to bed)

But the rule (obviously) has some exceptions. I cannot claim to have investigated every possible combination and permutation possible, but it seems to me that the prerequisites for breaking this rule are
1) the agents of the two clauses must be different
2) there must be some reaction involved, the subordinate clause showing the reaction to the action of the main clause
3) the main clause involves of modal of obligation in the present tense

The model is: You have to do X before I will do Y (or before Y will be done).

The children [must/have to] say "Please" before Auntie Em will give them candy.
We [must/has to] pay the station attendant before gas will come out of the pump.
The Smiths [must/have to] apologize before their neighbors will speak to them again.
[Do you have to / Must you] tell the children a story before they will go to bed?

These examples are a matter of speculation. I invite the other members of the forum to add to them or to find counterexamples or to revise the set of three conditions which I suggested as an explanation for such exceptions to the basic rule. Note that these exceptions always (I think) make the "will" sound like a verb of willingness. The desired effect will not take place until the required act is completed. The required act must occur before some other agent will (is willing to) fulfill his part.
I also think that all three examples I cited can also be stated in the simple present (... Auntie Em gives them ..., etc.)

CJ

Teo · Answer

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Teo · Answer

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Teo · Answer

The model is: You have to do X before I will do Y (or before Y will be done).

The children [must/have to] say "Please" before Auntie Em will give them candy.
We [must/has to] pay the station attendant before gas will come out of the pump.
The Smiths [must/have to] apologize before their neighbors will speak to them again.
[Do you have to / Must you] tell the children a story before they will go to bed?

We can use will with before to talk about what will happen because of possible future actions -- to mean "before this will be the later result."

Do you use the future tense in an adverbial clause?

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