Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T01:13:19.006Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

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
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

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

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Allen, R. L. (1966). The verb system of present-day American English. The Hague: Mouton.Google Scholar
Andersson, L.-S. (1975). Form and function of subordinate clauses. Göteborg: Department of Linguistics.Google Scholar
Burt, S. M. (1979). Another look at nara-conditionals. Studies in the Linguistic Sciences 9 2: 25–37. University of Illinois: Department of LinguisticsGoogle Scholar
Chomsky, N. (1970). Remarks on nominalization. In Jacobs, & Rosenbaum, (1970: 184–221).Google Scholar
Chomsky, N. (1981). Lectures on Government and Binding. Dordrecht: Foris.Google Scholar
Chomsky, N. (1982). Some Concepts and Consequences of the Theory of Government and Binding. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Close, R. A. (1980). Will in if-clauses. In Greenbaum, S.Leech, G. & Svartvik, J. (eds). Studies in English Linguistics for Randolph Quirk. London: Longman. 100–9.Google Scholar
Davison, A. (1979). Some mysteries of subordination. Studies in the Linguistic Sciences, 9 1: 105–28.Google Scholar
Haan, G. de (1981). Conditions on rules: the proper balance between syntax and semantics. Dordrecht: Foris.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haegeman, L. (1984). Pragmatic conditionals in English. Folia Linguistica.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jackendoff, R. (1977). Ẍ-Syntax: a study of phrase structure. Cambridge, Mass.MIT.Google Scholar
Jacobs, R. & Rosenbaum, P. (eds) (1970), Readings in English transformational grammar. Waltham, Mass.: Ginn.Google Scholar
Jenkins, L. (1972). Modality in English syntax. Reproduced by the Indiana University Linguistics Club.Google Scholar
Leech, G. (1971). Meaning and the English verb. London: Longman.Google Scholar
Lyons, J. (1977). Semantics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Palmer, F. R. (1974). The English verb. London, Longman.Google Scholar
Palmer, F. R. (1979). Modality and the English modals. London: Longman.Google Scholar
Quirk, R., Greenbaum, S., Leech, G. & Svartvik, J. (1972). A grammar of contemporary English. London: Longman.Google Scholar
Reinhart, T. (1981). Definite NP-anaphora and C-Command domain. LIn 12. 605–35.Google Scholar
Rutherford, W. E. (1970). ‘Some observations concerning subordinate clauses in English’. Lg 46: 97–119.Google Scholar
Sperber, D. & Wilson, D. (1982). Mutual knowledge and relevance in theories of comprehension. In Smith, N. V. (ed.), Mutual Knowledge. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Steele, S. et al. (1981). An encyclopedia of AUX. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT.Google Scholar
Stuurman, F. (1982). Review of Jackendoff, R. (1977). JL 18 (1982): 409–419.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Visser, F. Th. (1973). An historical syntax of the English language, vol. 3. Leiden: Brill.Google Scholar
Wekker, H. Chr. (1976). The expression of future time in contemporary English. Amsterdam: North-Holland.Google Scholar
Wekker, H. Chr. (1977). Future reference in adverbial clauses in English. Interlanguage Studies Bulletin Utrecht, 2, 64–77.Google Scholar
Wekker, H. Chr. (1980), Temporal subordination in English. In Zonneveld, W. & Weerman, F. (eds), Linguistics in the Netherlands 1977–79. Dordrecht: Foris. 96–103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, E. (1975). Small clauses in English. In Syntax and semantics 4, Kimball, P. (ed.). 249–73.Google Scholar