Skip to main content

modal verbs - When is "will" used in an "if" clause?


Given the following sentences that use will in the if clause (which is seldom with if-clauses and therefore, I'm not sure they all are even grammatical or not).




  • If you will/would kindly lend me your book, I will be thankful to you.

  • If you will not/would not mind lending me your book, I will be thankful to you.

  • If you will/would wait for a while, I will check it for you.






  • If you will use it, you can have it

  • If you will not arrive before six o'clock, I cannot meet you.



What if the last sentence is modified as follows?



If you will not be arriving before six o'clock, I cannot meet you.



Once upon a time, it was found in a grammar book.




If the play will not be finished until ten o'clock, I will have to spend the night at your place.



Can the following version of this sentence have a different meaning (or no meaning at all — a wrong sense)?



If the play is not going to be finished until ten o'clock, I will have to spend the night at your place.



After all, the question is when is will used in if-clauses as the title implies?



Moreover, both the following sentences appear to indicate a probable condition.




  • If he came, I should help him.

  • If he came, I would help him.



Using should and would interchangeably in such contexts implies a significant difference in meaning?



Answer



There seem to be several questions here. I’ll answer the one in the title.


I believe foreign learners are taught, at least at the lower levels, that an if clause cannot contain the modal verb will . This is good advice as far as it goes. We have to say If you run, you will catch the train and not If you will run, you will catch the train. However . . .


Will (’ll) and won’t may be used in the if clause to express the possibility of willingness (or its absence) on the part the person addressed. It can be used as a form of politeness, as in If you ’ll come this way, I’ll show you a few samples. In its negative form it can be a threat, as in If you won’t try harder, I’m not going to help you.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

etymology - Origin of the greeting "Sweet dreams".

Does anybody know the etymology of the phrase "sweet dreams"? I tried googling but did not find anything satisfying. Is this a relatively new phrase of the modern world or has this been in use for some time? I think it's the latter one. Answer The OED has the interjection as "a farewell to someone going to bed" from the 20th century: 1908 Sears Roebuck Catal. 198/1 Tenor Solos..Good Bye, Sweet Dreams, Good Bye. But it goes back until at least the 19th and possibly 18th centuries. John Wolcot, writing under the pseudonym of Peter Pindar, used it in his poem "Orson and Ellen; A Legendary Tale" published in 1801: Also from 1801 in The infernal Quixote (Page 287) by Charles Lucas: In the March 1776 of The Universal Magazine was published "The Serenade. A Pastoral Tale. From the German of Gesner" , where the shepherd Daphnis watches over his beloved as she sleeps and sings: The same tale appears in 1776's as Idyl XI, " Daphnis ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Is there a word/phrase for "unperformant"?

As a software engineer, I need to sometimes describe a piece of code as something that lacks performance or was not written with performance in mind. Example: This kind of coding style leads to unmaintainable and unperformant code. Based on my Google searches, this isn't a real word. What is the correct way to describe this? EDIT My usage of "performance" here is in regard to speed and efficiency. For example, the better the performance of code the faster the application runs. My question and example target the negative definition, which is in reference to preventing inefficient coding practices. Answer This kind of coding style leads to unmaintainable and unperformant code. In my opinion, reads more easily as: This coding style leads to unmaintainable and poorly performing code. The key to well-written documentation and reports lies in ease of understanding. Adding poorly understood words such as performant decreases that ease. In addressing the use of such a poorly ...
Post a Comment
Read more

What are the similarities between the relationships of the characters in The Outsiders and Romeo and Juliet?

At first glance, it might appear as if the characters in  The Outsiders  by S. E. Hinton and  Romeo and Juliet  by William Shakespeare do not have much in common; however, when one isolates the core of the conflicts, it becomes clear that the relationships in both stories are rooted in rivalry and secrecy.  In both  The Outsiders  and  Romeo and Juliet , an overarching theme is rivalry. While   socioeconomic status separates the greasers from the Socs in The Outsiders , last names separates the Montagues from the Capulets, who appear to be relatively equal in terms of socioeconomic status. Due to these rivalries, there are instances of deadly interactions in both stories. In  The Outsiders , Johnny kills Bob (whether his actions were justified or not is debatable). In  Romeo and Juliet , Romeo kills Tybalt and Paris, and Tybalt kills Mercutio. These deaths have profound effects on the main characters. In Ponyboy's case, the Johnny's death and other events in the novel inspire h...
Post a Comment
Read more