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Two overlapping meanings of "will"

English Language & Usage Asked on March 20, 2021

The verb "will" has many overtones and meanings but I want to bring up these two:

  1. If you will help me open the door, I will take the desk out.

"If you will help" means "If you consent to", "If you are disposed to", "If you are willing to".

  1. I will drink this beverage now, if it will make me stronger tomorrow in the competition.

The combination of two "wills" is OK in this case and I know why. But I wonder about this sentence.

  1. If you will help me learn this poem by heart (tomorrow), I will help you with your homework now.

My questions:

a) Can 3 sound ambiguous? It has the same relation of tenses as
sentence 2 does, however, if we removed "tomorrow", could it mean "If
you will" as "If you are willing to"?

b) Can 3 be said like this: 4 If you help me learn this poem by heart
(tomorrow), I will help you with your homework now. Which one is
better 3 or 4?

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