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I want to refer to the future. When someone asks me: "what are you going to do when you have a chance to look at [something]?". How should I reply?

Basically, the question is which one is correct (or none):

It will depend on what I see

or

It will depend on what I will see

tchrist
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Igor Turman
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  • Definately the former. The complete thought here is: It will depend on what I see [when I look at it]. – Jim Apr 04 '12 at 22:15

1 Answers1

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You certainly don't want "future tense" for "see". Many if not most native speakers wouldn't use it for "depend" either...

It depends on what I see.

FumbleFingers
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    The "it will depend on" part creates a hypothetical environment, like an if-clause, and the same rules about deontic vs epistemic usages of modal will apply. – John Lawler Apr 04 '12 at 22:46
  • @John Lawler: You are not wrong. But I think one could equally say that the same rules...would* apply* (should anyone wish to check), or that those same rules *do apply* (now and for the immediately-foreseeable future). – FumbleFingers Apr 05 '12 at 02:59
  • The italics just aren't as noticeable as they ought to be in comments, alas. What I said was "the same rules about deontic vs epistemic usages of modal *will* ... apply". Of course, the intonation and pause before apply didn't show up, and you couldn't tell that will was being mentioned instead of used. I agree, do apply would be unambiguous, but my whole point was that this is an unexceptionable instance of a well-documented phenomenon and I wished to avoid sounding like a stressed do sounds. As you can see, I write like I talk, and vice versa. – John Lawler Apr 05 '12 at 13:58
  • @John: I know I'm not as well-versed in the terminology as you, but I think I understand deontic as having some element of "attitude" (volition/obligation/etc.), where epistemic is just about facts/probabilities. So I took you italicisation to be a "parenthetical joke" deliberately toying with the distinction (the rules will* apply, because I hereby decree it to be so! :).* – FumbleFingers Apr 05 '12 at 14:17
  • No, it was just a citation. Would that I were that clever. My unconscious may be, but I rarely notice it until too late. – John Lawler Apr 05 '12 at 14:52
  • I wish you weren't so categorical in your answer. After all, the use of will here has its reasons and its rationale. Both the sentences are correct. – Kris Oct 14 '12 at 10:51
  • @Kris: You mean you genuinely think that "It will depend on what I will* see"* constitutes a "normal" construction? If that's the case I think you should post it as an answer and see if anyone else agrees (I think almost no-one would). As regards my second point, I only said many if not most speakers wouldn't use future tense "will depend", which the NGram link shows to be the case by a factor of about 20:1, so I don't think I'm making an unjustified claim there. – FumbleFingers Oct 14 '12 at 13:41