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Thread: why "will", not "would" in <Jane Eyre>

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    freddie is offline Newbie
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    Question why "will", not "would" in <Jane Eyre>

    I wonder how you will answer me a year hence, should I ask a favor it does not suits your convenience or pleasure to grant.


    ---cited from chapter 24 of <Jane Eyre> by Bronte Charlotte



    "Will" used here, not "would", but why? Any suggestions?
    According to Subjunctive usage, I think WOULD should be used here than will,

    Most thanks for your kindness.
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    Default Re: why "will", not "would" in <Jane Eyre>

    Quote Originally Posted by freddie View Post
    I wonder how you will answer me a year hence, should I ask a favor it does not suits your convenience or pleasure to grant.
    'Should + subject + bare infinitive' is used, in fairly formal language, in place of both 'If + subject + present simple' and 'if + subject + past simple':

    Should I see him (If I see him), I'll ask him.
    Should I see him (If I saw him), I'd ask him.


    This is one of the few anomalies in the construction of conditional utterances. Learners need never use it, and will probably rarely see or hear it.
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    Context is always important; labelling is rarely important.


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    Default Re: why "will", not "would" in <Jane Eyre>

    BTW, I wouldn't use <> for titles of books. You could use italics, inverted commas or underline instead:
    Jane Eyre
    "Jane Eyre"
    Jane Eyre
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    Default Re: why "will", not "would" in <Jane Eyre>

    Chinese has somehow adopted French quotation marks, or « guillemets ». I have no idea why, but the kids are using < and > instead some of the time.

    However, a complete publication should be italicised, not placed in quotation marks.
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    Threadstarter / Original Poster

    Smile Re: why "will", not "would" in <Jane Eyre>

    Hi guys,

    I have got to say thank all of you so much, dear 5jj, Tdol, and konungursvia.

    For 5jj, thank you for explanation of "should + subject + bare infinitive". This is what I really want.
    For Tdol and konungursvia, thank you for the modification of how to write titles of books or publication.

    Thanks very much indeed.

    All the best.

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