Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

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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