Thread: Use of "после того как"

Is anyone aware of a rule (or tendency) that says that the expression "после того как" should not be followed by the present tense? For example, in technical writing, is it okay to say "после того как мотор выключается" or is it preferred to use the perfective future, "после того как мотор выключится"? The same question also applies to the verb tense following "как только" - "как только мотор выключается" sounds okay to me, but is "как только мотор выключится" more correct grammatically? Спасибо!

"после того как мотор выключится" sounds better, but if it is a technical writing, it is better to write "после выключения мотора" or "после остановки мотора". For a better answer you have to give more context.

Originally Posted by DobeyMan

Is anyone aware of a rule (or tendency) that says that the expression "после того как" should not be followed by the present tense? For example, in technical writing, is it okay to say "после того как мотор выключается" or is it preferred to use the perfective future, "после того как мотор выключится"? The same question also applies to the verb tense following "как только" - "как только мотор выключается" sounds okay to me, but is "как только мотор выключится" more correct grammatically? Спасибо!

I guess the question was more one of "rules", and whether or not future perfective tense is called for after "после того как" or whether present tense is also permitted.

"После того как мотор выключается" sounds like a Present historicum to me, that is Present Historical Tense. It exists in many languages, when you describe of past (or sometimes future) events as if they happend now.

This is, however, seperate from the construction in Russian where the tense does not carry over into other clauses, correct?