0
Teleostomi Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

"will" in if-clause: would you approve of it?

0 01blockquote
02br
12br
10(1) I'll come at four, if it 11b11font10will 12font12b10suit you.12br
10(2)If it 11b11font10will 12font12b10make any difference, I'll gladly lend you some money.12br
10(3)If the play 11b11font10will 12font12b10be cancelled, let's not go.12br
12br
12blockquote
10Hi. Do you think any of these sentences are wrong? Could you tell me which one? I think the answers will vary depending on which of AmEn BrEn one speaks.0-
  

Top answer

, 02br 02br 00They all look fine to me (BrE). Here are the non-will versions:02br 02br 00(1) I'll come at four, if it suits you. ] If it suits you 01i 00now02i 00; not if you expect it to suit you 01i 00then02i 00.

— MrPedantic

  • , 02br 02br 00They all look fine to me (BrE).
  • Here are the non-will versions:02br 02br 00(1) I'll come at four, if it suits you.
  • ] If it suits you 01i 00now02i 00; not if you expect it to suit you 01i 00then02i 00.
  • 02br 02br 00(2)If it makes any difference, I'll gladly lend you some money.
  • ] Again, if it makes any difference 01i 00now02i 00, not 01i 00then02i 00.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

10 Answers
0
0Hello T., 02br
02br
00They all look fine to me (BrE). Here are the non-will versions:02br
02br
00(1) I'll come at four, if it suits you. ] If it suits you 01i00now02i00; not if you expect it to suit you 01i00then02i00. 02br
02br
00(2)If it makes any difference, I'll gladly lend you some mon
0
0
0 All your if clauses are subordinates, in which the 01b00tense simplification 02b00is preferred (see Swan, Practical English Usage), which means in this case future -> simple present. 02br
02br
00 I'd use 01b00simple present02b00 in all 3 cases:02br
02br
00 suits02br
00 makes02br
00
0
0
0 AmE, my personal preferences.02br
02br
01i00I'll come at four if it suits you.02br
00 If (you think) it [will make / makes] any difference, I'll gladly lend you some money.02br
00 If the play is going to be cancelled, let's not go. / If it looks like the play will be cancelled, let's not go.02i02br
02br
00 I have
0
0
0 01blockquote
01cite10CalifJim12cite11i12br
11font10 If (you think)12font10 it [will make / makes] any difference, I'll gladly lend you some money.12br
12i12br
10 I have no explanation of why 11i10will12i10 in the 11i10if12i
0
0
0 When I place words in parentheses, I mean them to be taken as optional.02br
00 When I place words in square brackets separated by slashes, I mean them to be taken as alternates.02br
00 Thus, what I wrote is short for saying 02br
02br
00 Any of the following:02br
02br
01i00If it will make any difference, I'll gladly lend
0
0
0My version:02br
02br
00suits02br
02br
00can make/makes02br
02br
00is cancelled 02br
02br
00So it seems that I'm taught at school not BrE, nor AmE, but something like Swan's preference; moreover, it's an incompetent comprehension of that.0-
0
0
0 01blockquote
01cite10CalifJim12cite11i12br
10 If (you think) it [will make / makes] any difference, I'll gladly lend you some money.12br
12i12br
12br
10 I have no explanation of why 11i10will12i10 in the 11i10if12i10-clause of the second sentence does
0
0
0 01blockquote
00Making any difference ---> lending money - ??? No, that's not the condition.12blockquote
10I'm sure that you are right. This strikes me as a good explanation. Another paraphrase is 01i00If it means that much to you, I'll lend you the money.02i00 And that's somewhat like: 01i00If you 01u00
0
0
0 01blockquote
01cite10Kooyeen12cite10Maybe it's because making a difference is not the condition that that'll cause you to lend that person some money. In other words...12br
12br
10I'd file into the lobby behind you and CJ here: the "if" verges on "accepting that" in this instance. (It seems to me you can't transform it into a "sho
0
0
0 01blockquote
01cite10MrPedantic12cite10I'd file into the lobby behind you and CJ here: the "if" verges on 11font11b10"accepting that"12b12font10 in this instance. (It seems to me you can't transform it into a "should" clause; which is perhaps another indicator.)10Yeah, "accepting that"..
0

Related Questions