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I have this sentence:

Many who started with you, won't finish with you.

Started - past tense, won't - future simple.

Shouldn't it be "would not finish with you"?

I think we can't mix the tenses like past tense and future tense in one sentence. What do you think?

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    I read this question, but I will not comment on it. Commented Jun 23, 2017 at 20:30
  • Possible duplicate of "won't" vs. "wouldn't"
    – MikeJRamsey56
    Commented Jun 23, 2017 at 20:37
  • We eat breakfast this morning but I won't join you for dinner. Nothing wrong with that.
    – MikeJRamsey56
    Commented Jun 23, 2017 at 20:40
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    The two part refer to different times, one in the past, one in the future. Absolutely no reason why they cannot do so.
    – Colin Fine
    Commented Jun 23, 2017 at 21:32
  • Where did this rule come from, that one should not mix tenses in a sentence?
    – Xanne
    Commented Jun 23, 2017 at 21:35

1 Answer 1

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Suppose you, along with with your friends, passed the medical test last month for going abroad. And you will go tonight. Then you can say:

We who passed the medical test last month will go tonight.

That's why there is nothing wrong to say "Many who started with you won't finish with you." because "won't finish with you" follows "many" not "who started with you".

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