Learn English – “While” and “When” phrases in the future tense

adverbsfuture-tensegrammar

When I am using the future tense, why do "while" and "when" clauses have to be in the present tense?

For instance,

"While I am eating you will be speaking on the phone"

and

"I will be waiting when your plane arrives"

Both sentences are grammatically correct.

But, doesn't it make more sense to say

"While I will be eating you will be speaking on the phone"

and

"I will be waiting when your plane will arrive." ?

Best Answer

'While and When' are subordinating time conjunctions like before, after, ere, till etc. Particularly, these two conjunctions, amongst others, also mean 'during the time that' and connect two events happening at the same point of time. When these conjunctions, or for that matter, other time conjunctions refer to future time in a dependent time clause, we do not use 'shall/will' but stick to Present tense/Imperative. Cf.

You will push the button and the door will open. X. When you push the button, the door will open.

Why?

Broadly speaking, English Tenses rest on Time(when) & Aspect(how) where sequence has a vital role to play. In present and past tense, when & while pose no problems, only sequence is the deciding factor.

The restriction applies to future tense (use of will). Simple present is very common in future references when time of the subordinate clause is anterior to or simultaneous with that of the main clause. Present can foresee near future of firm decision, scheduled action or fixed time table.

So to say, a subordinate clause is subservient to the verb (predicator) of the main clause. Actually, future time is determined by the main verb of the main clause. If the main clause already has future reference, it is not usually necessary to specify this again. There is moreover the question of sequence/ correlation.

  • While volcano will erupt, people will take to their heels.X

Wouldn't it be judicious to let the volcano erupt first.

Admittedly there may be situations where it becomes necessary to imbibe future time reference in the subordinate clause also. ln that case we may make use of the peripheries "going to..." instead of an explicit future. But mostly we would stick to the thumb rule of using present tense.

The example sentences with the subordinate clauses in the present are grammatical — sequentially and semantically.