Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Teo]

If it ___ tomorrow, we won't go camping with Angela.

(A) is raining (B) will rain (C) rains (D) rained

Which choice or choices are acceptable?
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Thank you very much for your reply.

[Schweppes]

I would say that choices A and C are both acceptable. They both sound natural. D is incorrect and B just doesn't fit into the sentence. It might seem like it should but it doesn't. Again, anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks.
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As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.--Albert Einstein

[KazAV]

Grammatically, C would be the correct choice (and would be the one that I would use myself) as the sentence is an example of conditional type 1 where the if clause contains the simple present and the main clause contains the will future (which is in the negative in your sentence - will not or won't). Remember, NEVER use will or would in the if clause.

However, I have heard both A and C used in everyday speech.

[MrPedantic]

C is certainly grammatically correct; but so is A.

With the simple present tense in C, the speaker views the rain "from the outside". It's a future event, viewed as a whole. With the present progressive in A, the speaker views the rain "from the inside". It's a future event, viewed as if it were in progress. "A" therefore expresses more immediacy.

The present progressive in an if-clause can be quite difficult to analyse, in terms of the traditional "conditional types".

Here, for instance, the present progressive does indeed express future meaning, and bears some similarity to our original example:

1. If he's sitting in reception when you arrive, give me a call and let me know.

In this sentence, however �

2. If he's coming round first thing tomorrow morning, we'd better clear up the flat tonight.

� the if-clause presents not a condition, but acceptance that something is a fact. A rough paraphrase would be:

2a. On the assumption that he is indeed coming round first thing tomorrow morning, we'd better, etc.

MrP