Time clauses

Question

As soon as he comes I will have finished my work or as soon as he comes I finish my work which sentence is correct?

Clive · Accepted Answer

As soon as he comes, I will finish my work.

Be Calm · Answer

thanks a lot

Laborious · Answer

Hi Clive,

As soon as he comes, I will finish my work.

Does it mean that 'first he will come and then the work will be finished', please?
Could we also say this - "As soon as he has come, I will finish my work" - without having a difference in meaning, please?

Clive, If you have time, could you please tell me if we can also use other present forms (for e.g. 'present continuous', 'present perfect', 'present perfect continuous') in time clauses like the one we have in our sentence? This has always been a confusion to me, probably because I don't often come across sentences which have present continuous or present perfect continuous or the form "going to + base form of a verb" in the time clause.

Thank you.

Clive · Answer

As soon as he comes, I will finish my work.

Does it mean that 'first he will come and then the work will be finished', please? It means '
eg The minute he walks into the room, I will start the activity of finishing my work. And I will complete that activity.

n the
Could we also say this - "As soon as he has come, I will finish my work" - without having a difference in meaning, please?
Yes, but it sounds awkward and I have to reflect for a moment to make sense of it.

Clive, If you have time, could you please tell me if we can also use other present forms (for e.g. 'present continuous', 'present perfect', 'present perfect continuous') in time clauses like the one we have in our sentence? This has always been a confusion to me, probably because I don't often come across sentences which have present continuous or present perfect continuous or the form "going to + base form of a verb" in the time clause.
If you write the sentences, I'll comment on them. OK?

Clive

Laborious · Answer

Thank you very much, Clive, for your time.

CliveIf you write the sentences, I'll comment on them.

Here are some sentences.

Are these correct grammatically, please?

- When/if I've been working in the fields for two hours, I start getting tired/I get tired..

- I won't stop working unless I've got tired. / I won't stop working unless I get tired. / I won't stop working unless I am getting tired.

- I will be on my way to pick up my kids (from school) when their mother is (or will be ?) preparing pasta for them.

Is there any difference in meaning between these two sentences?
- As soon as he has had his breakfast, he goes out for a walk. / As soon as he has his breakfast, he goes out for a walk.

Thank you.

Clive · Answer

Here are some sentences.

Are these correct grammatically, please?

- When/if I've been working in the fields for two hours, I start getting tired/I get tired.. Yes. With different meanings

- I won't stop working unless I've got tired. / I won't stop working unless I get tired. / I won't stop working unless I am getting tired. Yes. With different meanings.

- I will be on my way to pick up my kids (from school) when their mother is (or will be ?) preparing pasta for them. I wouldn't say this is incorrect, but it is very awkward and it is very hard to find a meaning.

Is there any difference in meaning between these two sentences? I can't see a difference.
- As soon as he has had his breakfast, he goes out for a walk. / As soon as he has his breakfast, he goes out for a walk
.
Clive

Time clauses

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