Can I use future tense here?

Question

I know future tense cannot be used in time clauses. I would like to know, is the following incorrect?

You have to launch the game and quit the game before the file will show up.

I think it is as I cannot use "before" and future tense. However, it does not sound like purely time clause (I cannot "ask" properly WHEN.)

Answer 1

Perfectly grammatical and meaningful in both cases.

The use of will in a potentially counterfactual before clause allows a deontic interpretation of will, however, which highlights the necessity of both launching, and then quitting, the game first, in order to get the file to show up afterwards.

This is because before NP will VP clauses indicate that NP is not normally willing to VP without the preparations in the main clause.

• You have to tell him three times before he'll believe you.
• You have to hold down the ALT key while pressing CTRL-P before it'll print.

Volition is not normally attributable to inanimate things, but software is easy to personify, especially in pejorative, refractory ways.

Answer 2

Let us presume you are a technical writer for computer software operation.

You are specifying the required sequence of stimulus that would promote an outcome.

First, let us establish the required stimulus leading to the outcome.

if (game is launched) then // First stimulus
{
  if (game has quit) then // 2nd stimulus requring 1st stimulus
  {
    display file.
  }
}

Therefore, your statement should be

You have to launch the game and then quit the game, before the file $will be displayed.

Where $will is either

will, can, would, could, should or might.

Secondly, we have to establish the mood of your specification.

• the file will certainly show up, no doubt about it.
• the file can show up, but there are more conditions to be satisfied.
• the file could possibly show up, due to ill-defined circumstances.
• the file should show up, I believe so hmm... because it is the expected outcome.
• the file might show up, but we hope it would not.

3rdly, let us clarify the word "will". There are two distinct usages here.

• will = having the propensity to show up. As in "the will to survive".
• an implied assertion of future tense due to unsatisfied conditions/stimulus that have yet to occur.

Let us lean towards

will = having the propensity (spontaneous tendency) to be displayed.

and that the mood of your specification is

the file will certainly show up, no doubt about it.

Therefore, your specification should be:

You have to launch the game and then quit the game, before the file will be displayed.

or

You have to launch the game and then quit the game, before the file will show up.

Answer 3

Because "the file will show up" is a dependent clause used after conditional conjunction "before", I think that Simple Present should be used

Answer 4

You have to launch the game and quit the game before the file shows up.