Why does it sound perfectly natural to say Our flight leaves tomorrow at 6pm but weird to say It rains tomorrow at 6pm? What kind of scenario, if any, could make the rain sentence sound natural?
Asked
Active
Viewed 2,434 times
3 Answers
5
In continuation with the surety-prediction advocated in the other responses, you might also argue that we never know with a 100% confidence that the flight actually leaves at 6pm tomorrow.
The technically correct usage would be (and because the flight schedule is present) -
"The flight is scheduled to leave at 6pm tomorrow."
"As per the schedule, the flight leaves at 6pm tomorrow."
But for all purposes of common usage, the sentence you quoted in the question suffices for audience communication.
Regarding your query for the rain situation, the only situation where it would sound appropriate, was it coming from a soothsayer, an oracle or a psychic predicting tomorrow's weather. I guess it is within their business obligations to use such sentences to sound mighty-sure and give themselves an aura of invincibility against nature's vagaries.
Sri Atluru
- 1,354
- 2
- 8
- 16
-
Thank you for the great answer. It makes me wonder if someday technology will have progressed to the point such that It rains tomorrow at 6pm would sound completely natural. – jyc23 Jun 10 '11 at 01:09
-
Some would add 'Our flight leaves tomorrow at 6pm, DV' as a 'technically correct usage'. – Edwin Ashworth May 24 '23 at 11:42
1
Even “it will rain tomorrow at 6pm” sounds wrong, for the same reason Ham and Bacon states—it’s not a known thing. In the former example, though, you’re technically describing a schedule, something that exists in the present, so the present tense can be appropriately used there.
Noah Witherspoon
- 129
- 3
-
“It will rain tomorrow at 6pm” sounds bold, perhaps arrogant, but not unacceptable English. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 01 '20 at 11:14
0
The reason it is natural is because the fact that the flight is leaving tomorrow at 6p.m. is absolutely known for sure, whereas you are only predicting that it might rain. You can't be entirely sure that it is going to rain, so "will" is used to note that you are predicting it.
Thursagen
- 41,919
-
1Then why does the sun will rise tomorrow sound better than the sun rises tomorrow? – Callithumpian Jun 09 '11 at 02:40
-
-
4
-
-
@Calli: I think adding a time makes it right - the sun rises tomorrow at 5:38 am which makes it similar to the flight leaving at – JoseK Jun 09 '11 at 06:50
-
-
'It is due to rain at around 6 in the evening tomorrow' is fine. Oops. // The actual departure of a flight is not a certain event until it happens. I'm not sure of the details hereabouts; I'd guess any rule someone comes up with won't fully hold. Usually a safe guess. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 01 '20 at 11:16