Can anyone explain to me why this is correct:
Please don't forget to ring me when you get home.
And why this is incorrect:
Please don't forget to ring me when you will get home.
conjunctionssubordinate-clauses
Can anyone explain to me why this is correct:
Please don't forget to ring me when you get home.
And why this is incorrect:
Please don't forget to ring me when you will get home.
Best Answer
Why is this correct?
You ask why the first example is "correct", and why the second is "incorrect", and there are several things to consider in the question.
In maths, we can say with certainty that 1 + 1 = 2 is "correct", and that 1 + 1 = 42 is "incorrect". Language, though, is not governed by as strict a body of rules as maths! "Correct" and "incorrect" in the context of English usage may not be appropriate terms. In any language, "correct" usage is that which is readily understood and employed by native speakers of that language. An instructor may tell you that something is "correct", and you should probably agree—as long as you understand that it is wiser to think of a given usage as being natural or best than as being correct.
The "why" is an entirely different question. Why do we (as in this case) use a present tense to describe actions that clearly take place in the future? Linguists have a variety of theories about the reasons for this and the other oddities in English and other languages; but for our purposes, it may be best simply to say:
The Grammar
The remainder of this answer is concerned with grammar, and here we are on firmer ground. Your sentence contains a subordinate clause introduced by the subordinating conjunction when.
The most common subordinating conjunctions of time in English are when, after, before, until, since, while, once, as and as soon as. In clauses with these conjunctions, we often talk about the future by using the present tense. This is what your example demonstrates:
Swan, in Practical English Usage (p 573) tells us:
The British Council article on "verbs in time clauses and if clauses" includes more examples and explanations.