Velimir  +  611201 Mon, 15 Dec 08 07:23 AM Hello everyone, Here I'd like to ask about the following sentence using "so that" (which is by the way a troublesome conjunction for me).The sentence is given in Swan's grammar and I don't understand why "will be" is used in clause after "so that" and not "is" instead : "I'm putting it in the oven now so that it will be ready by seven o'clock." Does the above sentence mean the same as : "I'm putting it in the oven now so that it is ready by seven o'clock"   I've browsed google for this phrase and here are the number of hits for "so that it is ready by" and "so that it will be ready by", and some examples for each : 1. "so that it is ready by" - 40 results "You can heat the oven before you start preparing the chicken so that it is ready by the time you are ready to grill the chicken to approximately 180-200 degree Fahrenheit" "All summer work is due on Friday, August 22nd to the main office in the high school. This will give me a few days to grade your work so that it is ready by the first day of school." "You have to open and decant this wine at 2 p.m. so that it is ready by 8 p.m., and then it continues to evolve in the glass over the next two hours--at least." 2."so that it will be ready by" - 45 results  "A good sized clubhouse is to be erected, and work will be hurried along so that it will be ready by Decoration Day." "We've been working on getting it all put together so that it will be ready by the publish date." "I need to try it on and get it fitted so that it will be ready by the time we come back down to Marblehead on the 21st" I'm perplexed by the fact that those two are almost equally used in the obviously same situations. Is it about the american or british english usage ? I feel like "so that it is ready" better connects the cause in the first clause with the result in the second, but I'm not sure about it. I also got 31 result for "so that it be ready" but without "by" used in similar situations but without time constraints with "by". I'm perplexed with this findings and also by the fact that the overall number of results is pretty small for the phrase - construction, which seems to be necessary in number of real life situations. Can it be that "in order to" or some other phrase is preferred in those situations like in above examples? Thank you for your help Velimir Joined on Mon, Nov 12 2007 Junior Member 88 Dates, Constructions, Clauses, British English, Writing, Sentences, Countries, United States, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Usages, American, Summer

	Mister Micawber  +  611312 Mon, 15 Dec 08 12:28 PM . Either will work.  Native speakers tend to use simple present for future in dependent clauses. . Mister Micawber Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004 Yokohama Veteran Member 30,805 'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'

	Velimir  +  611335 Mon, 15 Dec 08 01:36 PM Thank you for  your answer Mr.Micawber.  Would you briefly comment on the usage of the third option "so that it be ready" I've found used without time constraints (i.e by the time). Is it the subjunctive mood and is this more formal option ? Best regards Velimir Regards, Subjunctives, Usages

	Mister Micawber  +  611610 Tue, 16 Dec 08 01:47 AM . I think those sites that used "so that it be ready" were mistakenly trying to over-formalize by using the subjunctive in this clause, but it is uncalled for. . Mister Micawber Clauses, Subjunctives, Writing

	Verb_aTIM  +  622925 Sat, 27 Dec 08 01:57 AM     I think (THAT) the main problem on the answers (THAT) you get is that the problem is not the answers (THAT) you get, BUT THE QUESTION  ITSELF.      'Cause in native English, although it is proper using the word "THAT" as shown above, IT IS NOT USUAL, OR IT IS NOT COMMONLY USED.     And the main reason for that, is that the word "THAT" is always interferring with the noun that is always following, as I put for you to see up above.    I put it like that, I mean, IN PARENTHESIS, ...SO (THAT) YOU CAN VISUALIZE, what native English speakers are always skipping.     The expression "SO THAT", although proper in past times, it's currently out of practical use.    The word "THAT" is only one out of many words that go far beyond contraction.. TO TOTAL ELIMINATION. Not in proper writing as in your "SO THAT". but in commonly proper speaking.    So, instead of saying:  SO THAT IT be ready by 8 p.m.,              Just say: SO IT be ready by 8 p.m.                                                                             Instead of:    "I'm putting it in the oven now so that it will be ready by seven o'clock."                                      Just say:     "I'm putting it in the oven now SO  IT 'll be ready by seven o'clock". Have a nice chat. Verb_aTIM Joined on Mon, Oct 27 2008 New Member 29 Pattern Seekers welcome. Nouns, Spelling, Contractions, Countries, United Kingdom, Great Britain, France, Speaking, Chat, Friendships, Languages

	Velimir  +  764789 Thu, 04 Jun 09 08:22 AM Thank you very much for the explanationVerb_aTIM. Velimir

	cwtch  +  764810 Thu, 04 Jun 09 08:40 AM Verb_aTIM “ "I'm putting it in the oven now SO  IT 'll be ready by seven o'clock". ”   This is how I would be most likely to phrase it in speech. cwtch Joined on Mon, May 18 2009 Full Member 279 I may not agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it. Live free or die. Speaking, Speeches

	CalifJim  +  764838 Thu, 04 Jun 09 09:06 AM What you have found simply shows that the present and future tenses are in free variation in this context.  There may be a slight tendency to use the future in cases where the emphasis is on very active preparations of some sort, and to use the present in cases that show more leisurely action toward a goal, but this is pure speculation on my part.  You would have to research this hypothesis very carefully.  Personally, believe it or not, I tend to use the future in "so (that) it ... ready by ..." constructs. Check the dates on the subjunctive cases (that it be ready).  It seems to me that these would have been written a long time ago or by non-native speakers, as the subjunctive in that context is virtually unheard of these days. CJ CalifJim Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004 California Veteran Member 22,415 "There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche Dates, Tenses, Subjunctives, Future Tenses, Context