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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] tenses - Deut1:44

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  • From: Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>
  • To: Vadim Cherny <VadimCherny AT mail.ru>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org, "Read, James C" <K0434995 AT kingston.ac.uk>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] tenses - Deut1:44
  • Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2005 11:56:12 +0100

On 19/09/2005 10:31, Vadim Cherny wrote:

RE: [b-hebrew] tenses - Deut1:44Spanish and English use the future tense,
inter alia, for:

- future reference
- imperative (you will do it)


Yes, the "will" form is a future tense used mostly for future reference, sometimes for imperative relating to future events.

- probable present (I would think, he is at home now)
- hypothetical future tense (I would rather be skiing)


The "would" form is not a future. "I would rather be skiing" is not hypothetical future, but hypothetical present.

This derivative, idiomatic usage does not invalidate the notion that English
and Spanish have tenses. ...


Everyone agrees that English has tenses. But "would" is not the future tense, "will" is.

As you likely know, "would" is a form of "will." ...


Perhaps etymologically. And there are cases where "would" is effectively the past of "will" e.g. "He said that he would go" when his actual words are "I will go". But it has many other uses in which there is no future sense. In fact "will" means "want" or "decide", and became a future tense auxiliary only as a secondary sense. Its past form "would" never acquired this future sense.

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/



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