Which translation is correct?

Status
Not open for further replies.

mocni

New member
Joined
Apr 3, 2012
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Polish
Home Country
Poland
Current Location
Poland
Hello,

Can you tell me please which sentence is correct:

"It is mine until the invoce WILL BE PAID"
or
"It is mine until the invoce IS PAID"

Thanks a lot for your help
KJ
 

Rover_KE

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
England
The second version is correct.
 

mocni

New member
Joined
Apr 3, 2012
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Polish
Home Country
Poland
Current Location
Poland
Thanks!
I thought so.
Can you tell me why the first one is wrong?

:)
 

Rover_KE

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
England
I'm afraid not.

I've just noticed that you mean 'invoice'.

Rover
 

BobSmith

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
I can, from a layman's POV. If it's mine, until such time that it's paid for, that means you can't have it until you pay for it. If you say "don't worry, it will be paid", I'm still in the position of not yet having the payment, so it remains with me.

"is paid" means money has changed hands.

"will be paid" still means the future, which is unknowable.

Does this help?
 
Last edited:

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
In temporal clauses referring to the future, introduced by such words as before, after, as soon as until, etc, we use the present tense:

It is yours when/as soon as/once/after the invoice [STRIKE]will be[/STRIKE] is paid.
It is mine until the invoice [STRIKE]will be[/STRIKE] is paid.


Note that the underlined is in the main clause can be replaced by will be.
 

mocni

New member
Joined
Apr 3, 2012
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Polish
Home Country
Poland
Current Location
Poland
That's the answer I've been looking for!
Thanks a lot!

:)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top