Thread: Future after if

and if you will help me to learn Russian I will help you to improve your English

We were taught that there was no "will" after "if". And here it is used. Why?

The use of the English tenses in a nutshell

http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/hando...ditionals.html


http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...9024332AA9s2zg
"Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

In your example sentence it should be "If he were (was) a dog, he would jump..."

There are, more or less, four types of if sentences, and after if you can have present, past or past perfect.

1st conditional/real conditional:
If + present, future (will/going to)

If it rains tomorrow, I'll stay at home.

This is used with real possibilities in the future.

2nd conditional/unreal conditional
If + past (with "to be" were/was are both typical), would/could + verb

If I were/was a bird, I could fly high in the sky
If it snowed in August, I would be very surprised.

This is used for situations which are either impossible (If I were a bird) or very unlikely (if it snowed in August)

3rd conditional/past conditional
If + past perfect, would have + verb.

If I hadn't broken my leg, I could have become a professional footballer.
If I had known that you were coming, I'd have baked a cake.

This is used for if sentences about the past.


0 conditional
If + simple present, simple present.

If you heat water it boils.
If the cat pees on the carpet, it means her cat-toilet is not clean.

This is used to expressed scientific truths, things that are always true.
Source(s):

Any English grammar book from the past fifty years.
(oh, and I teach English as a Foreign Language)"

Originally Posted by Marcus

We were taught that there was no "will" after "if". And here it is used. Why?

Will can be used after if if it expresses the idea of willingness.

Thank you, translationsmru!

Will can be used after if if it expresses the idea of willingness.

Or a result, rather than a condition: "Open the window if it will help you to sleep"