Present or future tense after "by the time" in subordinate clause?

Question

Can we use present or future tense after this expression "by the time" in subordinate clause?(when the main clause has present tense. )

For example,

By the time I arrive at the hotel,..........

By the time I will arrive at the hotel,......

Which one is correct?

Learner · Accepted Answer

The future time is determined by the main verb or by the context, so a verb in a subordinate clause referring to the future time appears in the simple present tense after subordinating conjunctions (after, before, until, when, as soon as..)

By the time I arrive at the hotel, I will have something to eat.
When I arrive at the hotel, I'll take/have a shower.
As soon as I get there I'll ....

Miriam · Answer

"By the time I arrive at the hotel I'll have somerhing to eat" doesn't sound completely right to me. I see a difference in meaning between that sentence and "As soon as I arrive I'll have something to eat".
"By the time" ~~in my opinion~~ suggests that the action in the main clause started or happened before your arrival. This example makes more sense to me:
"I'm late! By the time I arrive at the hotel, she will have been waiting for hours!"
or
"By the time I arrive at the hotel, she will probably be gone."

Can anyone tell me if that's correct, please?

Thank you,

Miriam

Learner · Answer

Yes, you are right, Miriam.. Thanks for pointing this out..

I was so focused on the "will" position, that I missed this important point.

By the time I arrive, they will have eaten dinner. (future perfect)

I am searching for other tenses that can be used with "by the time" expression:

I had done my English homework by the time I ate dinner last Saturday. (past perfect)

By the time I finish this course, I will have been learning English for twenty years. (future perfect continuous)

May I use it with any other tenses? I'm a little confused now..

Anonymous · Answer

0 By the time i will arrive to hotel0-

CalifJim · Answer

0 01blockquote

01cite10Anonymous12cite10By the time i will arrive to hotel12blockquote

10Sorry. Completely wrong.02br
00After 01i00by the time02i00 use the present (or present perfect) if speaking from the viewpoint of the present:02br
01i00By the time I arrive at the hotel, ...02i02br
01i00By the time I have arrived at the hotel, ...02i02br
00Use past (or past perfect) if speaking from the viewpoint of the past:02br
01i00By the time I arrived at the hotel, ...02i02br
01i00By the time I had arrived at the hotel, ...02i02br
00CJ 0-

Pherenike22 · Answer

What about if speaking from the viewpoint of the future?

Ex: "Will Susan get there by the time Henry will arrive at the conference?"

Kooyeen · Answer

Hi Pherenike22, and welcome to EnglishForward.

Pherenike22Ex: "Will Susan get there by the time Henry will arrive at the conference?"

Your example is the same as the ones already discussed in this thread, except it's a question. You need to use present tenses.

Will Susan be there by the time Henry arrives at the conference?

Pherenike22 · Answer

Ok. But why can't I use future + by the time + future ? I'm referring to a simultaneous situation of two actions in the future.

BarbaraPA · Answer

You don't use "by the time" for two simultaneous events.

One thing has happened before the other does. By the time the second thing happens, the other is complete. That's how you use it.

However, even for simultaneous events, you still use present for the second part of the sentence.

Susan will get here when Mike gets here. (Susan and Mike are riding together.)

Pherenike22 · Answer

Is it correct "Susan will get here while Mike will get here too." ?

Present or future tense after "by the time" in subordinate clause?

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