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I am confused about the usage of Present Simple in these sentence.

  1. Sorry in advance to anyone whose name i pronounce wrong.

You can assume that he is just telling a fact but it is said in an particular youtube video.

I think "pronounced" should be used instead of "pronounce". Why the present simple is used in these sentences?

2 Answers 2

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"In advance" implies that the errro, if it happens is in the future. The simple present is often used for future events.

However, I believe this would be more correct as :

  • I want to say "Sorry" in advance to anyone whose name I pronounce wrongly.
  • I apologize in advance to anyone whose name I pronounce wrongly.

If the possible erro has already occured, this could be:

I want to say "Sorry" to anyone whose name I pronounced wrongly.

One could use "mispronounce" instead of "pronounce wrongly". It is less formal.

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  • So does that mean " If i pronounce wrongly, then I want to say sorry" is it right?
    – ikigai20
    Commented Sep 29, 2019 at 5:06
  • Also, is that sentence valid if i dont use "in advance"?
    – ikigai20
    Commented Sep 29, 2019 at 5:07
  • @lollel123 That would be "If i pronounce a name wrongly, then I want to say I'm sorry". One does not say "If I pronounce wrongly" without an object such as "a name" or "a word". In person, "in advance" would be obvious and could be left out. In writing it helps make it clear that this is said before the possible error. Commented Sep 29, 2019 at 5:11
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    Thanks for relieving my confusion. Turns out that I was confused because of present simple referring to future but now I know present simple can be used to refer to the future!
    – ikigai20
    Commented Sep 29, 2019 at 5:24
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    @lollel123 "pronounce" could be in the present or the future, in your original; example it seem to be the future. "pronounced" would be the past. Commented Sep 29, 2019 at 5:25
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The use of the simple present is correct here. He is speaking of a general fact that remains true:

Grass is green.
Nadal plays tennis.
I pronounce some names wrong.

He is saying this is not a particular mistake he might make in the future,or have made in the past. Instead it is a general failure of his to speak (foreign) names correctly. As it is a general fact, the simple present is possible.

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