Which of these two sentences is correct? And why?
A) We can't play tennis if it will be rainy tomorrow.
B) We can't play tennis if it is rainy tomorrow.
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Both are wrong...Can you try to explain the if part? I mean how you will correct it?– Man_From_IndiaFeb 4, 2015 at 16:55
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4@Man_From_India I don't think both are wrong.– user230Feb 4, 2015 at 16:56
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5I think that "_We can't play tennis if it rains tommorrow_" is correct.– PyraminxFeb 4, 2015 at 17:19
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3The first one isn't ungrammatical - it just doesn't mean what OP thinks it means. I have to mow the lawn either today or tomorrow, but the lawn has to be dry to mow. I want to play tennis with you today, but I can't play tennis if it will be rainy tomorrow .– AdamFeb 4, 2015 at 17:37
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2I don't like either version - "we can't play tennis if it rains tomorrow" will fix it easily. edit oops, which i just noticed @Pyraminx already said… The actual answer to the question, though, is 'neither'. Both are really uncomfortable. if pushed, hard, the 2nd is better than the first.– DoneWithThis.Feb 4, 2015 at 18:55
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2 Answers
Using will not be able to instead cann't is the most correct way.
We will not be able to play tennis if it is rainy tomorrow.
But if choose between this two sentences, B is better than A.
.A) We can't play tennis if it will be rainy tomorrow.
B) we can't play tennis if it is rainy tomorrow.
Usually, in conditional 1 sentences, we use if-clause in the present and the main clause in the future. Besides, we can also use may/might in the main clause to express possibility and "can" to express ability with the if-clause in the present.
So I think the sentence A doesn't sound natural. On the other hand, the sentence B is grammatically correct, though it'll better if we say We can't play tennis if it rains tommorow, as commented by Tetsujin.
We can use if-clause in the future and the main clause in some special cases, for example, if you will play the drums all nights no wonder the neighbors complain. The sentence shows your obstinate insistence.
