If you get up vs If you'll get up

Question

I'm reading The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald and there's one part of the book where Jordan Baker goes to sleep and says:

'Good-night' she said softly. 'Wake me at eight, won't you?'

If you'll get up

I will. Good-night, Mr Carraway. See you anon.

What does If you will mean in this context?

Could be the sentence written as If you get up?

You can read "If you'll get up" as "(I'll do that) if you'll get up". I believe that using will (in If you'll getup) sounds better because the getting up is a consequence of being waken up. — Damkerng T., Dec 07 '14 at 07:58
@DamkerngT.: I wonder if we can reconstruct it as "If you will (be able to) get up when I try to wake you tomorrow, then I will indeed be successful in waking you." — CowperKettle, Dec 07 '14 at 08:17
@CopperKettle Not quite, I think. I think it's more like, "I'll wake you if you will get up if (when) I wake you." — Damkerng T., Dec 07 '14 at 08:27
I found this: http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/77790/what-does-if-you-will-mean could be the sentence written as "If you want to get up"? — Victor Castillo Torres, Dec 07 '14 at 09:03
Do what you will. Sit here if you will. The Free Dictionary uses "will" as a verb to mean to desire or wish. — Khan, Dec 07 '14 at 17:31

score 5 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 07 '14 at 12:28

I am willing to try to rouse you tomorrow morning (only) if you actually wake up when I do (and not say you want to stay asleep, for example).

Call me tonight.
--If you'll answer.

The implication of the reply is that often calls are sent to voice-mail, say.

score 5 · Accepted Answer · edited Jun 16 '20 at 09:11

If you get up.

If you'll get up.

We don't usually see the auxiliary verb will in the if-clauses of conditionals. One time that we do see it is when will has the meaning of agree to or be willing to. The first example is just a normal conditional where we use the present simple in the if-clause, although we're talking about the future. In the Original Poster's example, "if you 'll get up" has the meaning: "if you're willing to get up". The version without will is perfectly grammatical, but doesn't have this extra meaning.

Hope this is helpful!

If you get up vs If you'll get up

2 Answers2