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I've seen this sentence in a song, I think this sentence is correct grammatically and I am wondering why the author has chosen future not present after until then.

"may be I'll get to you some day until then I'll keep on walking through the rain."

I think "will" is here not to indicate the future but the fact that the person is willing to keep on walking. Am I right?

ColleenV
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Yves Lefol
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2 Answers2

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The writer has used the future tense because the hypothetical end of the walking is in the future (the 'some day' when 'maybe I'll get to you).

Kate Bunting
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Actually it does both. Definition of "will:

expressing the future tense Lexico

But is also helps emphasise how the person is willing to keep on walking through the rain till the person gets to "you". "until then" here might be a future time clause:

A future time clause is a subordinate clause that contains a conjunction such as when, as soon as, before, after, until, etc. The special thing about these clauses is that they use a present tense to refer to an action or event in the future. Source

DialFrost
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  • But until then is like" when" so it should be present as "I will drive when I am 20 " not when I will be 20 or as in your example till the person gets to you not will get . – Yves Lefol Aug 02 '22 at 10:31
  • "until then" DOES NOT EQUAL "when", try substituting "when" in your sentence, it will be wrong @user5577 – DialFrost Aug 02 '22 at 10:36
  • but does it work as a time clause?( no future after a time clause) or very rarely – Yves Lefol Aug 02 '22 at 10:56
  • It might be a future time clause @user5577 – DialFrost Aug 02 '22 at 14:49
  • So if it is a future time clause why did the author choose future and not present as written in your answer – Yves Lefol Aug 02 '22 at 15:37
  • See my answer below! – Kate Bunting Aug 02 '22 at 15:41
  • I 'm not sure to understand your answer , future was chosen because of the hypothetical end of the walking not because the end of the walking is in the future (in this case the author would employ the present) as "he will play until he arrives" – Yves Lefol Aug 02 '22 at 16:14
  • That isn't what I said. It's because the end of the walking is in the future (but it's hypothetical because he will only 'maybe' get to her'. (NB I only saw this comment by chance because you didn't put my name in it!) – Kate Bunting Aug 03 '22 at 07:44