Which is more accurate ,my friend promised that he ………..me as soon as the plane arrives a)will phone b)would phone please I want an immediate answer

Answer 1

Hi Mariaam,

Thank you for your post. One other element I wish to bring into the conversation is potential differences in subtext:

"My friend promised me that he will phone as soon as the plane arrives." - This option is more objective and definitive in restating the speaker's understanding of what has come before.

"My friend promised me that he would phone as soon as the plane arrives." - This option is more subjective, as "would" may transform this into a hypothetical or conditional statement. Accordingly, the expected outcome of the plane arriving on-time and the phone call being received may have changed or may not occur. The sentence may also convey uncertainty, such as fear or anxiety, more successfully than the alternative.

Answer 2

My friend promised me that he _________ as soon as the plane arrives.

The options you’re proposing are:

My friend promised me that he will phone as soon as the plane arrives.

My friend promised me that he would phone as soon as the plane arrives.

The beginning of the sentence uses past tense, so it is more common to continue use of the past tense in this kind of sentence, but technically both are correct. If you remove the first part of the sentence, “my friend promised me that”, the remaining part of both options are still correct - which is one way of checking for grammar & cohesive writing.

Answer 3

Hi, since the first part of your statement indicates that your friend has promised this, the option of "will phone" becomes a stronger choice over "would phone"; both, however, are grammatical.