time clause

[navi tasan]

Can't this sentence have two meanings:
1-I won't be working here in two months.

a-It'll take me more than two months to get a job here. (Let us assume that I have applied for a job here and I've been told that I'll be given one in the future, but I know it will take more than two months for me to have the jop).

b-In two months I'll leave this place and won't have the job any more (right now I am working here).

 

[Casiopea]

Can't this sentence have two meanings:
1-I won't be working here in two months.

a-It'll take me more than two months to get a job here. (Let us assume that I have applied for a job here and I've been told that I'll be given one in the future, but I know it will take more than two months for me to have the jop).

b-In two months I'll leave this place and won't have the job any more (right now I am working here).

To get the meaning in a-, you'd have to change 'in' to 'for another',

2. I won't be working here for another two months.

If we drop the 'another', the result is ambiguous,

3. I won't be working here for two months.

(3a) I'll be taking a leave of absence for two months.
(3b) I start working here in two months.

1- is not ambiguous. :wink:

1- I won't be working here in two months. (I'll be leaving in two months)

 

[navi tasan]

Thanks Cas.

I think there are other ways to interpret 3:

3. I won't be working here for two months.

(3c) I'll be only working here for a week.
and even:
(3d) I'll be working here for a lot longer than two months.

I think even if you add "another" the sentence could have these meanings.
Am I right?

As for my intended meaning, could this one convey it:
4-I won't start working here in two months.

(I am posting a related question in a different post. This one has already got too many parts).

 

[Casiopea]

I think there are other ways to interpret 3:

3. I won't be working here for two months.

(3c) I'll be only working here for a week.
(3d) I'll be working here for a lot longer than two months.

Do you mean, "I'll be working here for only a week"? If so, I agree with both 3c and 3d.

As for my intended meaning, could this one convey it:
4-I won't start working here in two months.

Sorry, what was your intended meaning for 4?

 

[navi tasan]

Thanks Cas,
My intended meaning was:
I'll start working here after two months.

 

[Casiopea]

Thanks Cas,
My intended meaning was:
I'll start working here after two months.

Gotcha. OK, I agree then. Sorry. It's somewhat confusing when there's no context.

I won't be working here in two months. That is, not in the next two months. I'll be starting after that period.

Again, it's suspect. Omitting 'the next' causes confusion. :wink: