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ias.tokushima-u.ac.jp>Dear LINGUISTs, Last month I had a query on the list concerning English tense in subordinate clauses. Thank you very much for answering my prolonged questionaire about a month ago(Jan. 28). The following people responded to my judgement test. I would express my sincere thanks to them. E. Wayles Brownes David Houghton Steven Schaufele Karen Davis James Thomas Royle Phaedra Geoffrey Sampson The original questions and the results are as follows. Please forgive me for making many spelling mistakes. Figures in each slot show the number of the persons who judged the relevant sentences. So, the number of people is different. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------- I am investigating the tense system of "_will_ in the main clause + past(present) tense in the relative clause" and "_will_ in the _if_/_beofore_ clasue." First, I would like to know the acceptablity and the meaning of the "_will_ + past tense." Are the following sentences acceptable, which is adapted from Depraetere(1996),_The Tense System in English Relative Clauses: A Corpus-Based Analysis_ (Mouton de Gruyter)? And what is the meaning of them, i.e., is the past tense in the relative clause viewed from the main clause or from the present time? For example, if (1) is acceptable, when is _the day before_, i.e., does _the day before_ mean yesterday(the day before the present time(now)) or does it mean the day before the day a sit-in protest will continue (the time veiwed from the main clause)? Please put *, ? or OK into each slot for the acceptabilities and write the interpretation you can understand (two or three, if any) from the context. (1) a. ( OK:2/*1 ) Students of the engineering faculty will continue a sit-in protest which began the day before. (Your interpretation is: All agree that the day is before some time which was stated in the previous sentence, i.e., the tense in the relative clause is viewed not from the main clause.) b. (OK:2/?:2) Students of the engineering faculty will continue a sit-in protest which will have begun/will begin/ begins the day before. (Your interpretation is: the same as above.) (2) a. (OK:3/?:3) The bleeding will be caused by the cut she got when he attacked her. (When is her getting the cut when being attacked? Your interpretation is: most people agree that the cut is eg. from yesterday's fighting. It ocuurred in the past time. If not, 3 people judge this sentence questioinable.) b. (OK:3/?:3) The bleeding will be caused by the cut she will get/gets when he attacks her. (When is her getting of the cut when being attacked? Your interpretation is: the cut will be viewed from the present time, not from the main clause.) It seems difficult to interpret these sentences. (3) a. (OK:3/?:1 ) The governor will be an elderly man, and he will have the clearest possible recollection of the British who came with Colonel Younghusband forty-five years before. (Exactly when is the coming (the time of forty-five years before) of the British? Your interpretation is: the British's coming is viewed from some other time than the main clause. All agree with this interpretation.) b. (OK:1/?:2/*2 ) The governor will be an elderly man, and he will have the clearest possible recollection of the British who will have come/will come with Colonel Younghusband forty-five years before. (Some say that _will come_ is questionable.) (Exactly when is the coming (the time of forty-five years before) of the British? Your interpretation is: the same as above. Coming with C.Y. is not viewed from the main clause.) c. (OK:all ) The governor will be an elderly man, and he will have the clearest possible recollection of the British who came with Colonel Younghusband forty-five years ago. (Exactly when is the coming of the British? Your interpretation is: Coming with C.Y. was 45 ago.) (J(4) Consultants saw that as significant because Siemens' PBXs offer ISDN capabilities, so the IBM move in that direction makes is more plausible that the companies can merge their PBX tecnology and minimize disruption for customers. (OK:all )The new software will also let IBM customers' telephones automatically identify the number from whcih an incoming call originated. (When is the originating of an incoming call? Your interpretation is: the call's originating is viewed from the main clause. My conclusion from your opinions is that viewing from the main clause comes from a close semantic relationship between the main and relative clauses.) (5) (OK:2/?:1) Under the agenda of the anti-choice movement, there will be absolutely nothing that the adoption option will be able to do for the women who wanted an abortion, couldn't have one and died from continuing the pregnancy. (Exactly when is the events shown in the past tense in the relative clause? Are they before the present time(now) or before the future time shown by the main clause? Your interpretaion is: the three events are veiwed from the main clause. They will happen after the present time and before the time of main clause. ) (6) a. (OK:2/?:1 ) A few scuffles will break out among the 600 students who were allowed into the hall before university ushers locked the door. (Exactly when is the students' being allowed into the hall? Your interpretation is: either before now or before the events of the main clause, i.e., before the future events of locking the door and scufling. ) b. (OK:2/*:1) A few scuffles will break out among the 600 students who will have been/will be allowed into the hall before university ushers locked the door. (Exactly when is the students' being allowed into the hall? Your interpretation is: after now. ) (7) a. (OK:all) You will meet a man who is wearing a blue coat. b. (OK:2/?:2) You will meet the man who is wearing a blue coat. (7a means that a man will wear a blue coat. A man is in the future time. 7b means either the man is in the present time or in the future.) c. She will look uo with a busy smile at (OK:all) a / (OK:all) the enormous figure who is clearing his throat impatiently. (The same as above: _a_ indicates the event in the relative clause is in the future, and _the_ shows either future or present event.) d. A left-wing student will seize the microphone but will be quickly cut off by (OK:2/*:1)the ]/ (OK:2/?:1)an offcial whop cuts the cord. (The same as above.) Second, please help me judge the following sentences about the _will_ in the _if_/_before_ clause. Please put *, ? or OK in each slot. (8) a. (OK:1/*:3 ) If you will be hungry, there is a hamburger in the refrigerator. b. (OK:1/*3 ) If you are hungry, there is a hamburger in the refrigerator. (9) a. (OK:3/?:1 ) If it will rain tomorrow, you should cancel the date now. b. (OK:0/*4 ) If it rains tomorrow, you should cancel the date now. (10) a. In order to see whether the baby will be a boy or a girl, put the pregnant woman in the middle of a flock of wrens. The baby will be a boy if they fly away in terror, because white boys stalk and torture and kill them. If it (OK:all )will be a girl /OK:all( )is a girl, they will cluster around singing, because girls grind grain and scatter some for the wrens. b. In order to see whether the baby will be a boy or a girl, put the pregnant woman in the middle of a flock of wrens. If the baby (OK:all )will be a girl /(OK:all )is a girl, they will cluster around singing, because girls grind grain and scatter some for the wrens. It will be a boy if they fly away in terror, because white boys stalk and torture and kill them. (11) a. [No context]. How long before (OK:all )you'll get here / (OK:all )you get here? b. A: I'd like to come over and see you. Would eight in the morning be OK? B: Now would be better. How long before (OK:all )you'll get here / (OK:all ) you get here? (12) a. The fire would probably blaze and smoulder three or four days before it (OK:all )would burn / (OK:all )burned itself out. b. The fire probably blazed and smouldered three or four days before it (*:all )would burn / (OK:all ) burned itself out. c. Before the fire (OK:all )would burn / (OK:all )burned itself out, it probably would blaze and smoulder three or four days. d. Before the fire (*:all )would burn / (Ok:all )burned itself out, it probably blazed and smouldered three or four days. e. The fire will probably blaze and smoulder three or four days before it (OK:all )will burn / (OK:all ) burns itself out f. The fire probably blazes and smoulders three or four days before it (OK:2/?:2 )will burn / (OK:all ) burns itself out (12) a. Alex wondered how much longer it would be before he (OK:all )would stand / (OK:all )stood so much alone and isolated that his position in the bank would be untenable. b. Alex wondered how long it would be before he (Ok:all )would stand / (OK:all )stood so much alone and isolated that his position in the bank would be untenable. c. Alex wondered how much longer it was before he (?and*:all )would stand / (? and *:all )stood so much alone and isolated that his position in the bank was untenable. d. Alex wondered, before he (?:4 )would stand / (?:4/OK:1 )stood so much alone and isolated that his position in the bank would be untenable, how much longer it would be. e. Alex wondered when his position in the bank would be untenable before he (*:all )would stand / (*:all )stood so much alone and isolated. (13) a. The Japanese are faced with problems which must be overcome before they (OK:all )will be / (OK:all )are able to exert so strong an influence. b. Before the Japanese (*:2/OK:1 )will be / (?:2/OK:2 )are able to exert so strong an influence, they are faced with problems which must be overcome. c. The Japanese are faced with problems which are difficult to solve before they (OK:2/*:2 )will be / (OK:all )are able to exert so strong an influence. (14) a. [No context]. It is only a matter of minutes before he (OK:all )will arrive / (OK:all )arrives. b. A: What's wrong with him? He's not here yet. Did you tell him the exact time? B: Wait, wait, wait! It is only a matter of minutes before he (?:2/OK:1 )will / (OK:2/?:1 )arrives. (15) a. Despite Thalidomide's proven safety record, trilas of the drug on humans were required in the United States before its sales (OK:all )would be / (OK:all )were approved by the Food and Drug Administration. b. Despite Thalidomide's proven safety record, before its sales (OK:all )would be / ] (OK:all )were approved by the Food and Drug Administration, trilas of the drug on humans were required in the United States. c. Despite Thalidomide's unproven safety record, the drug was tried on humans in the United States before its sales (OK:1/?:2/*:1 )would be / (OK:all )were approved by the Food and Drug Administration. d. Despite the drug's proven safety record, trilas of it on humans are required in the United States before its sales (OK:1/*:3 )will be / (OK:all )are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (16) a. At 1:40, twenty minutes before the meeting (OK:all )would begin / (OK:all ) began, there was standing room only in the second hall and new arrivals were still appearing. b. At 1:40, before the meeting (*:2/OK:2 )would begin / (OK:all )began, there was standing room only in the second hall and new arrivals were still appearing. c. Before the meeting (*:all )would begin / (OK:all )began, there was standing room only in the second hall and new arrivals were still appearing. d. At 1:40, twenty minutes before the meeting (OK:all )will begin / (OK:all ) begins, there will be standing room only in the second hall and new arrivals will still be appearing. e. There was standing room only in the second hall and new arrivals were still appearing, twenty minutes before the meeting (OK:all )would begin / (OK:all ) began at 1:40. f. There was standing room only in the second hall and new arrivals were still appearing, before the meeting (*:all )would begin / (OK:all ) began at 1:40. g. There was standing room only in the second hall and new arrivals were still appearing, before the meeting (*:all )would begin / (OK:all ) began. h. There will be standing room only in the second hall and new arrivals will still be appearing, twenty minutes before the meeting (*:all )will begin / (OK:all ) begins at 1:40. i. There will be standing room only in the second hall and new arrivals will still be appearing, before the meeting (*:all )will begin / (OK:all ) begins at 1:40. j. There will be standing room only in the second hall and new arrivals will still be appearing, before the meeting (*:all )will begin / (OK:all ) begins. Thanks a lot in advance. I am looking forward to your reply. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - --------------------------------- Thank you very much for your help. I will definitely not make spelling and grammatical mistakes in my writing. Best wishes, Hiroaki Tanaka Associate Professor, 1-1, Minamijousanjima-cho, Tokushima, 770, Japan Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Tokushima University, Japan hiro-tMail to author|Respond to list|Read more issues|LINGUIST home page|Top of issue