We spend years telling students, "Don't use will or would in the "IF" clause." But actually....
1) Polite requests: here "will" = are willing to
- If you will sit down for a second, the doctor will examine you in a moment.
- If you will be so kind and give me your house, i'll be eternally grateful.
- if you would listen to me for for just a second, my love, we might be able to escape this burning building. (would is more polite)
2) Insisting on something: you MUST stress "will" here!
- "I'm fat, Paul!" - "Well, yeah, if you WILL constantly eat cakes all the time, no wonder you can't see your feet!"
- "Dad, my brother keeps kicking me!" - "Paul, if you WILL keep on bloody annoying him, I'm not surprised!"
3) Results: we use WILL here to mean something will be a later result, not a condition of something:
- I'll lend you my car, if it will make you happy! (being happy is the result of getting the car)
- Ok, we'll get married if it will make you feel better!
4) If we are quite certain about something / if we know now that:
- If students WON'T come today, then i'll cancel the class.
- If John will land that dream job, McDonalds will be so lucky!
5) And of course with Indirect Questions - I don't know if...
- I really have no idea if I'll come tonight.
- I really don't know if she'll marry me because i am so ugly.
1) Polite requests: here "will" = are willing to
- If you will sit down for a second, the doctor will examine you in a moment.
- If you will be so kind and give me your house, i'll be eternally grateful.
- if you would listen to me for for just a second, my love, we might be able to escape this burning building. (would is more polite)
2) Insisting on something: you MUST stress "will" here!
- "I'm fat, Paul!" - "Well, yeah, if you WILL constantly eat cakes all the time, no wonder you can't see your feet!"
- "Dad, my brother keeps kicking me!" - "Paul, if you WILL keep on bloody annoying him, I'm not surprised!"
3) Results: we use WILL here to mean something will be a later result, not a condition of something:
- I'll lend you my car, if it will make you happy! (being happy is the result of getting the car)
- Ok, we'll get married if it will make you feel better!
4) If we are quite certain about something / if we know now that:
- If students WON'T come today, then i'll cancel the class.
- If John will land that dream job, McDonalds will be so lucky!
5) And of course with Indirect Questions - I don't know if...
- I really have no idea if I'll come tonight.
- I really don't know if she'll marry me because i am so ugly.
