will/would

Question

If you booked a FlexSaver fare, your flight will depart anytime within the specific time window you selected.Why is 'will' used in this sentence? Shouldn't conditional type 2 use 'would'?

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

You are right, but a good ad man would have used 'book' in the if-clause.

Cool Breeze · Answer

To my mind the sentence is correct. Booked is a past tense, not a subjunctive. This is obvious from selected, which is also a past tense.

CB

New2grammar · Answer

Cool Breeze, what you've said sounds logical but at the same time confusing to me. So you are saying the 'if' usage does not automatically make a sentence subjunctive? Can you give me a couple of examples in different contexts where 'if' is not subjunctive?

Cool Breeze · Answer

New2grammarSo you are saying the 'if' usage does not automatically make a sentence subjunctive? Can you give me a couple of examples in different contexts where 'if' is not subjunctive?

Certainly, New2grammar:

1. I showed him some pictures yesterday. If he liked a picture, he would nod.
2. I used to take long walks in the evenings in those days but if I was tired, I just watched television.

An average English verb has only four forms written as one word (ask, asks, asking, asked) and therefore the indicative and subjunctive are often the same. This makes it easy for a learner but can result in ambiguity sometimes. You will have noticed that even native speakers argue on these forums about the meanings of, say, will or shall in some sentences.

In English, context is often of paramount importance. In many other languages that have more inflections, the meaning is clear and unambiguous without context. I am best familiar with my native language, Finnish. Just to say something in the indicative in the present tense in all the six grammatical persons (I, you, he, we, you, they), 13 different forms of the verb are needed. Another 13 verb forms are needed for the past tense etc. Consequently the problem discussed in this thread couldn't arise in Finnish.

Cheers
CB

New2grammar · Answer

1. I showed him some pictures yesterday. If he liked a picture, he would nod.
2. I used to take long walks in the evenings in those days but if I was tired, I just watched television.

Thanks CB for your reply. However, if you look at my original example, it uses "will" in the conditional clause while both your examples use a past tense. My question was, shouldn't the sentence use the past tense 'would'. I understand you said at the end of the sentence there's a past tense 'selected' but why all of a sudden there is 'will'? Can you please explain why the original sentence is correct as it is?

Marius Hancu · Answer

New2grammar
If you booked a FlexSaver fare, your flight will depart anytime within the specific time window you selected.

Why is 'will' used in this sentence? Shouldn't conditional type 2 use 'would'?No, I think that will tells you with certainty that if you book a FlexSaver fare, you are guaranteed to depart anytime within the specific time window you select.

I don't think would be appropriate here.

Cool Breeze · Answer

New2grammarHowever, if you look at my original example, it uses "will" in the conditional clause while both your examples use a past tense. My question was, shouldn't the sentence use the past tense 'would'. I understand you said at the end of the sentence there's a past tense 'selected' but why all of a sudden there is 'will'? Can you please explain why the original sentence is correct as it is?

I agree with Marius. Will simply denotes future in the sentence. If something happens in the future, using the future tense is not that exceptional.

But that's just my opinion about the sentence. There are others.
CB

Pieanne · Answer

New2grammar1. I showed him some pictures yesterday. If he liked a picture, he would nod.
2. I used to take long walks in the evenings in those days but if I was tired, I just watched television.

Thanks CB for your reply. However, if you look at my original example, it uses "will" in the conditional clause while both your examples use a past tense. My question was, shouldn't the sentence use the past tense 'would'. I understand you said at the end of the sentence there's a past tense 'selected' but why all of a sudden there is 'will'? Can you please explain why the original sentence is correct as it is

To me, in these examples, "if" means more "whenever", rather than expressing a condition

Cool Breeze · Answer

New2grammarCool Breeze, what you've said sounds logical but at the same time confusing to me. So you are saying the 'if' usage does not automatically make a sentence subjunctive? Can you give me a couple of examples in different contexts where 'if' is not subjunctive?

Hi New2grammar

I just saw these examples by Alienvoord in the Linguistics Discussion Forum:

If Hamlet was really written by Marlowe, as many have argued, then we have underestimated Marlowe’s genius.
If Kevin was out all day, then it makes sense that he couldn’t answer the phone.

Cheers
CB

New2grammar · Answer

I think I have a better understanding now. Not all 'If' are subjunctive!

Just to make sure I got it right, is the following sentence correct?

If this hitman didn't kill him, I think another hitman would have shot him.

will/would

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