Mark Brader wrote:
> "Datere" asks about:
>> [A1] I'll give 10 dollars to anybody who washes my car. (Y)
>> [B1] I'll give 10 dollars to anybody who *will wash my car. (Y)
>> [C1] I *give 10 dollars to anybody who will wash my car. (N)
>> [A2] The man who marries my daughter will need to be tough. (Y)
>> [B2] The man who *will marry my daughter will need to be tough. (Y)
>> [C2] The man who *marries my daughter will need to be tough. (Y)
>> [A3] This discovery will mean that we spend less on food. (N)
>> [B3] This discovery will mean that we *will spend less on food. (Y)
> *[C3] This discovery means that we will spend less on food.* (Y)
>> [A4] I will pray that he wins. (Y)
>> [B4] I will pray that he *will win. (N)
> *[C4] I *pray that he will win.* (Y)
[I have rearranged the above (and shortened #2) for ease of
comparison. Examples in bold were added by Mark. Y and N represent
his comments as to the acceptability of the examples, as set out
below.]
> For #1, I find A and B acceptable, but not C.
In C1, "I *give 10 dollars to anybody who will wash my car," you could
replace the simple present with the progressive, "I'm giving ten
dollars...", with or without the waving of folding green, and it would
pass, for me, as informal spoken English. I think, in that case, it
would mean something like "I offer...". The reason you don't like C1
may be that he isn't giving the money in present time.
> For #2, I find A, B, and C all acceptable.
A2 and C2 are identical, except for the asterisk. How about *D2: "The
man who will marry my daughter needs to ( or "must needs" -- I keep
thinking of Petruchio) be tough"? There, I think the "will" is for
volition, or refers to a candidate in present time, and the sentence
passes, for me.
> For #3, I find B and C acceptable, but not A.
I find all three acceptable, more or less, but they have slightly
different meanings, as usual. "This discovery will mean..." refers to
a future time in which the discovery will begin to have an effect;
"This discovery means..." is spoken of a discovery whose effect is
being felt at the present time. I agree that the subordinate clause
ought to have "will", but I think it may be the "will" of volition as
much as of futurity: you could certainly say "This discovery means
that we have less money for food."
> For #4, I find A and C acceptable, but not B.
I agree, I think. In this case, with a verb involving volition, there
may be a hangover from an earlier form using the subjunctive: "I
pray/will pray that he win." This has made the leap to the
indicative, but the future tense is still beyond its range. How would
you feel about "I prayed that he should win"? "I pray that he shall
win"? "I pray that he may win"?
> And, for the most part, I have no idea why!
Nessies don't need to have. The rules of grammar are a learning tool
only, or something we make up to justify our choices.
