[Grammar] STING FRAGILE

[Alimdul]

If blood will flow when flesh and steel are one
Drying in the colour of the evening sun
Tomorrow's rain will wash the stains away
But something in our minds wiil always stay

How can we explain "will" after "if"?
Thanks a lot.

 

[bhaisahab]

If blood will flow when flesh and steel are one
Drying in the colour of the evening sun
Tomorrow's rain will wash the stains away
But something in our minds wiil always stay

How can we explain "will" after "if"?
Thanks a lot.

Why does it need explanation?

 

[Alimdul]

I might be wrong but there is usually the present simple after "if": If it rains we won't have a picnic tomorrow.

 

[emsr2d2]

This appears to be a poem. It appears to me that the words have been chosen to fit the rhythm of the verse.

 

[5jj]

'If' can mean 'given that', and 'will is normal then.

A: Luke will be here tomorrow.
B: Well, if Luke will be here, I'll get him to look at my computer.

 

[Rover_KE]

This appears to be a poem. It appears to me that the words have been chosen to fit the rhythm of the verse.

Curious about the thread title, I googled it.

It's from a song called 'Fragile' by Sting.

You could have mentioned this in post #1, Alimdul.

 

[Alimdul]

I'm sorry if it wasn't clear from the thread title as it was for me. Nevertheless, due to 5jj comment I'm studying BBC Learning English>Grammar, Vocabulary & Pronunciation>Learn it>"if-clauses" containing "will".

 

[Weaver67]

... Nevertheless, due to 5jj comment I'm studying BBC Learning English>Grammar, Vocabulary & Pronunciation>Learn it>"if-clauses" containing "will".

(neither an English teacher nor a native speaker )

A very similar case - I would even say "identical in terms of semantics" - has been described by Michael Swan in his well known "Practical English Usage". I cannot recall the page number now, but I can say for sure that there are a few paragraphs concerning the matter.

 

[Alimdul]

Besides I've read the thread from 29 March 2010 "will after conditional if". Unfortunately I didn't understand how to apply these exceptions (result, polite manner, insistence) to this definite item ("If blood will flow..."). On the other hand I've gained some knowledge.

 

[Weaver67]

Swan shows five typical cases where "if...will" is acceptable. In addition to "polite request", "insistence", and "result", there are also two more: "indirect questions (I don't know if...)" and "If it is true now that...". The former is not so interesting, but the latter is...

Here is how it goes in the book:
"We use will with if when we are saying 'if it is true now that...' or 'if we know now that...'.
If Ann won't be here on Tuesday, we'd better cancel the meeting.
If prices will really come down in a few months, I'm not going to buy one now. " (p.237, "Practical English Usage", Third Edition)

To my mind, the idea seems to be pretty much the same as what 5jj said about "Given that..." a few posts earlier.