0
Guest Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
"will" in if-clause
0 I would appreciate your help very much with the following questions. 02 br
00 If you won't helpus, all our plans will be ruined. 1. 02 br
00 If you will use it, you can have it. 2. 02 br
00 Does the "will" in the if clause of 1 and 2 have modal meanings, which may be "want to do, or willing to do"? 02 br
02 br
00 If drugs will cure hime, this should do the job. 3. 02 br
00 What does "will" mean in 3.? 02 br
02 br
00 If you won't arrive before six, I can't meet you. 4. My grammar book explains the if clause as "If you won't be arriving before six" 02 br
02 br
00 If the game won't be finished until ten, I'll spend the night at your place. 5. The explation given by my grammar book is "If the game is not going to be finished until ten" 02 br
02 br
00 If the water will rise above this level, then we must warn wverybody in the neighbourhood. 6. My grammar book says "if the water is going to rise above this level, then we must now plan to warn everybody in the neighbourhood." 02 br
02 br
00 If we definite won't win, why should we bother to play? The explanation is: "If we definitely aren't going to win, ..." 02 br
02 br
00 Besides the questions about 1,2 and 3, I have quite a few about 4, 5, and 6. 02 br
00 Questions about 4: What does the "will" mean? the grammar book's explanation is in the future progressive tense, why the tense be used here? Can the if clause be changed to "if you don't arrive before six"? 02 br
02 br
00 Questions about 5: The meaning of "will", Why is it interpretated as "if the game is not going to be finished until ten"? Can the game plan itself? Can the if clause be changed to "if the game isn't finished until ten"? 02 br
02 br
00 Questions about 6: Why is "will" used in the if clause? is it a modal? Does it mean we don't want to win? "to be going to " in the explanation sounds strange, can the if clause be changed to "if we definitely can't win" or "if we definitely don't win"? 02 br
02 br
00 These sentences are taken from my grammar book, I don't understand what is said about them. Thank you very much for your help. Mei 0-
00 If you won't helpus, all our plans will be ruined. 1. 02 br
00 If you will use it, you can have it. 2. 02 br
00 Does the "will" in the if clause of 1 and 2 have modal meanings, which may be "want to do, or willing to do"? 02 br
02 br
00 If drugs will cure hime, this should do the job. 3. 02 br
00 What does "will" mean in 3.? 02 br
02 br
00 If you won't arrive before six, I can't meet you. 4. My grammar book explains the if clause as "If you won't be arriving before six" 02 br
02 br
00 If the game won't be finished until ten, I'll spend the night at your place. 5. The explation given by my grammar book is "If the game is not going to be finished until ten" 02 br
02 br
00 If the water will rise above this level, then we must warn wverybody in the neighbourhood. 6. My grammar book says "if the water is going to rise above this level, then we must now plan to warn everybody in the neighbourhood." 02 br
02 br
00 If we definite won't win, why should we bother to play? The explanation is: "If we definitely aren't going to win, ..." 02 br
02 br
00 Besides the questions about 1,2 and 3, I have quite a few about 4, 5, and 6. 02 br
00 Questions about 4: What does the "will" mean? the grammar book's explanation is in the future progressive tense, why the tense be used here? Can the if clause be changed to "if you don't arrive before six"? 02 br
02 br
00 Questions about 5: The meaning of "will", Why is it interpretated as "if the game is not going to be finished until ten"? Can the game plan itself? Can the if clause be changed to "if the game isn't finished until ten"? 02 br
02 br
00 Questions about 6: Why is "will" used in the if clause? is it a modal? Does it mean we don't want to win? "to be going to " in the explanation sounds strange, can the if clause be changed to "if we definitely can't win" or "if we definitely don't win"? 02 br
02 br
00 These sentences are taken from my grammar book, I don't understand what is said about them. Thank you very much for your help. Mei 0-
Top answer
0 Hello Mei 02 br 02 br 00 Welcome to our EnglishForum. I heartedly welcome you, though I myself am a mere English learner. 02 br 02 br 00 As you know well, "will" is seldom used in if-clauses.
- 0 Hello Mei 02 br 02 br 00 Welcome to our EnglishForum.
- I heartedly welcome you, though I myself am a mere English learner.
- 02 br 02 br 00 As you know well, "will" is seldom used in if-clauses.
- For example, usually you don't say "If she will not attend the class tomorrow, she can't take the final exam", because it is enough to say just "If she doesn't attend the class tomorrow, she can't take the final exam", when your are neutral in predicting the possibility/probability of her attending tomorrow's class.
- But you can use a "will" construct in an if-clause, when you are rather sure that the event stated in the if-clause will happen in future.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
6 Answers
0
0 Hello Mei 02 br
02 br
00 Welcome to our EnglishForum. I heartedly welcome you, though I myself am a mere English learner. 02 br
02 br
00 As you know well, "will" is seldom used in if-clauses. For example, usually you don't say "If she will not attend the class tomorrow, she can't take the final exam", because it is enough to say just "If she doesn't attend th
02 br
00 Welcome to our EnglishForum. I heartedly welcome you, though I myself am a mere English learner. 02 br
02 br
00 As you know well, "will" is seldom used in if-clauses. For example, usually you don't say "If she will not attend the class tomorrow, she can't take the final exam", because it is enough to say just "If she doesn't attend th
00
0 Yes, welcome, Mei! 02 br
02 br
00 To supplement rather than contradict Paco's analysis: 02 br
02 br
00 1. If you won't help us, all our plans will be ruined. 02 br
00 — Here 'will' is used to express 'be willing to', rather than a future tense. 02 br
02 br
00 2. If you will use it, you can have it. 02 br
00 — You could re
02 br
00 To supplement rather than contradict Paco's analysis: 02 br
02 br
00 1. If you won't help us, all our plans will be ruined. 02 br
00 — Here 'will' is used to express 'be willing to', rather than a future tense. 02 br
02 br
00 2. If you will use it, you can have it. 02 br
00 — You could re
00
0 Hello MrP 02 br
02 br
00 Thank you for correcting my answers. I think I misunderstood #3 to #7 (#3 above all). I think the grammar book the questioner refers is Quirk's CGEL. Those conditionals are really hard for me to get. 02 br
02 br
00 paco 0-
02 br
00 Thank you for correcting my answers. I think I misunderstood #3 to #7 (#3 above all). I think the grammar book the questioner refers is Quirk's CGEL. Those conditionals are really hard for me to get. 02 br
02 br
00 paco 0-
00
0 Hello Paco 02 br
02 br
00 How do conditional statements work in Japanese? 02 br
02 br
00 (I'm not convinced that "type 1/2/3 etc" is the most helpful way of presenting conditionals; maybe there's a way of explaining that would be easier for Japanese people.) 02 br
02 br
00 MrP 0-
02 br
00 How do conditional statements work in Japanese? 02 br
02 br
00 (I'm not convinced that "type 1/2/3 etc" is the most helpful way of presenting conditionals; maybe there's a way of explaining that would be easier for Japanese people.) 02 br
02 br
00 MrP 0-
00
0 Hello MrP 02 br
02 br
00 In the Japanese conditionals, we change the apodosis' expressions according to conditionals' reality. In the case the conditional is known to be rather unreal, we use an expression similar to English modal constructs in the apodosis, and when we judge neutrally about the possibility of its realization, we use a usual assertive statement in the apodosis
02 br
00 In the Japanese conditionals, we change the apodosis' expressions according to conditionals' reality. In the case the conditional is known to be rather unreal, we use an expression similar to English modal constructs in the apodosis, and when we judge neutrally about the possibility of its realization, we use a usual assertive statement in the apodosis
00
Hello all,
Interesting topic of discussion. However I think it's possibly to give some straightforward rules about when you can correctly use 'will' in an if-clause:
1. If the result clause precedes the if-clause in time .
E.g. 'If you will play with it, you can have it' - supposing you have it (first), you would be obligated to play with it (second).
Interesting topic of discussion. However I think it's possibly to give some straightforward rules about when you can correctly use 'will' in an if-clause:
1. If the result clause precedes the if-clause in time .
E.g. 'If you will play with it, you can have it' - supposing you have it (first), you would be obligated to play with it (second).
0
Related Questions