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The syntax and interpretation of futurate conditionals in English1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2008

Liliane Haegeman  and
Herman Wekker
Liliane Haegeman
Affiliation:
N.F.W.O. Ghent and Department of English, University of Nijmegen
Herman Wekker
Affiliation:
N.F.W.O. Ghent and Department of English, University of Nijmegen
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Abstract

Defining the constraints on the use of the modals will and would in futurate if-clauses in English poses problems to both descriptive and theoretical linguists. One ‘rule’ often referred to is that while future will and counter- factual would do not normally occur in conditional sub-clauses with if, volitional and dispositional will and would can be used in that context.

This paper attempts to account for this general rule and for the so-called exceptions to it in terms of two different syntactic positions of if-clauses in the sentence. It is suggested that the contrast can be formalized within current versions of -theory.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Linguistics , Volume 20 , Issue 1 , March 1984 , pp. 45 - 55
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1984

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