Are both sentences correct? What is the difference in the meaning?
When you speak to Richard, will ask him about his new job.
When you speak to Richard, ask him about his new job.
TIA
-
The first is missing "you"..............will you ask him about.– Bruce MurrayCommented Jun 14, 2020 at 11:40
-
Can you write that as an answer, not a comment.– James KCommented Jun 14, 2020 at 11:50
-
What do you suppose the difference in meaning would be?– LambieCommented Jun 14, 2020 at 12:34
-
@Lambie, sometimes different tenses mean another essense.– SergeiCommented Jun 14, 2020 at 14:10
-
What tenses do you think you produced?– LambieCommented Jun 14, 2020 at 18:44
Add a comment
|
2 Answers
You can't form an impertive with "will", therefore the first sentence is not correct.
The imperative is formed with the base form of the verb. It can't be modified with perfect tense, or modal verb. You can use a time phrase if needed.
Drink the milk.
Be good.
Be able to say your times-table. (rather odd phrasing...)
Go to school tomorrow.
You can't say
Have drunk the milk **
Be going to drink the milk **
Can say your times-tables **
Will go to school tomorrow **
These would be understood not as imperatives but as shortened "headlinese" forms of "I have drunk the milk" etc. (You might understood the second as an imperative, but it would be most unnusual)
In your example, the first would be understood as a oddly clipped form of
When you speak to Richard, I will ask him about his new job.
-
I understand you, but "I" isn't possible here. May be I could say: "When you speak to Richard, you will ask him about his new job." ?– SergeiCommented Jun 14, 2020 at 14:04
-
That is grammatically correct, but not a reasonable thing to say. It isn't imperative, it is just making a future prediction of what the person will say. This style is rarely used for an authoritarian implied command. It is "teacher talk" "You will do your homework" as an instruction or command. But is isn't common and unless you have a position of defined authority, it is rude. Without a pronoun, "I" would be assumed, which also gives a meaningless sentence.– James KCommented Jun 14, 2020 at 14:42
-
So, in your opinion that sentence must be "When you speak to Richard, I will ask him about his new job." and another pronoun instead "I" isn't good?– SergeiCommented Jun 14, 2020 at 17:10
-
If you say "When you speak to Richard, will ask him about his new job" that is no good. I don't know what you are trying to say. If you want to tell someone to ask say "..., ask him ..." If you want to ask a question say "... will you ask". The meaning of "I will ask him" or "you will ask him" are correct, but the meaning of both is odd. (Either telling about my intentions at a strangely defined time, or predicting your actions, or giving a oddly rude instruction". Don't use "will ask him" or "I will ask him" or "you will ask him" in this expression– James KCommented Jun 14, 2020 at 17:38
-
Sorry for a lot of questions. In my English book I translate from my native language into English. There is the answer: "When you speak to Richard, ask him about his new job." So I try to understand if it's correct? And how this sentence can be translated into 1st conditional.– SergeiCommented Jun 14, 2020 at 18:40
- "When you speak to Richard, you will ask him about his new job".
Another one:
"When you get home, you will do your homework".
will + [main verb] is used as an order to tell someone to do something. However, the tense is the simple present.
It can, of course, also signal intention: I will do this later, not now.
The imperative would be: "Ask Richard about his new job when you speak to him".
- "When you speak to Richard, you ask him about his new job".
This last sentence is the use of the simple present to tell someone to do something as if it were a challenge.
If you have been arguing with someone about this Richard guy, and you say that sentence, you are challenging the person to ask Richard about the job because **the person has doubted what you are saying or what you have told him about Richard's new job.
