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Cho7712 Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
if
The following examples are quoted from the advanced grammar in use,
1. If you haven't paid the bill by Friday, we're taking the carpets back. (or If you don't.....)
2. If he fails his maths exam again, he's going to give up the course. (suggests He may or may not have taken the exam.)
The book says, in real conditionals, the present perfect or present simple can be used in if-clause as in 1.
But, I suspect there would be a subtle difference between them.
What possible distinctions, if any, would be made between them?
As to 2, I think 'again' clearly indicates what he was through before. To me, there is no way of thinking that he may not have taken the exam. Only without 'again', the two suggestions in the brackets can be possible. What do you think about it?
1. If you haven't paid the bill by Friday, we're taking the carpets back. (or If you don't.....)
2. If he fails his maths exam again, he's going to give up the course. (suggests He may or may not have taken the exam.)
The book says, in real conditionals, the present perfect or present simple can be used in if-clause as in 1.
But, I suspect there would be a subtle difference between them.
What possible distinctions, if any, would be made between them?
As to 2, I think 'again' clearly indicates what he was through before. To me, there is no way of thinking that he may not have taken the exam. Only without 'again', the two suggestions in the brackets can be possible. What do you think about it?
Top answer
"If you don't pay the bill by Friday" is looking forward from the viewpoint of now. "If you haven't paid the bill by Friday" is looking backwards from a projected viewpoint of Friday. In practice the two may be used more or less interchangeably.
- "If you don't pay the bill by Friday" is looking forward from the viewpoint of now.
- "If you haven't paid the bill by Friday" is looking backwards from a projected viewpoint of Friday.
- In practice the two may be used more or less interchangeably.
- "If he fails his maths exam again" must mean that he has already taken the exam at least once in the past.
- What the book may be saying is that this time he may have already taken the exam but not yet received the results, or he may not yet have taken the exam.
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5 Answers
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"If you don't pay the bill by Friday" is looking forward from the viewpoint of now. "If you haven't paid the bill by Friday" is looking backwards from a projected viewpoint of Friday. In practice the two may be used more or less interchangeably.
"If he fails his maths exam again" must mean that he has already taken the exam at least once in the past. What the book may be say
"If he fails his maths exam again" must mean that he has already taken the exam at least once in the past. What the book may be say
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1. If you don't pay the bill by (this/next) Friday, we're taking the carpets back.
I use don't for non-specific times or time intervals in the near future. It means that you must pay sometime between now and Friday.
If you haven't paid the bill by the end of the month, we're taking the carpets back.
I tend to use "haven't" for expressions whi
I use don't for non-specific times or time intervals in the near future. It means that you must pay sometime between now and Friday.
If you haven't paid the bill by the end of the month, we're taking the carpets back.
I tend to use "haven't" for expressions whi
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Thank you for this practical information.
And it seems that the distinction made in 1 could also be found in a grammar book.
What book can I find this information?
And it seems that the distinction made in 1 could also be found in a grammar book.
What book can I find this information?
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cho7712What book can I find this information in?There may be a grammar book with this specific example, but in general, grammar books cannot cover all the combinations that are in the English language. There are just too many, and the language has changed over time.
This situation is exactly what English Forums is for. Native speakers who are
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