Hi,
If Paul's been to Australia, he'll probably have acquired an accent.
No context here, it's a sentence from Grammar and Vocabulary for Cambridge Advanced and Proficiency.
What meaning does the Future Perfect convey here? I am aware that it is a false conditional. My interpretation is either "he will sooner or later acquire an accent" or "must have already acquired an accent". Why not simply say then "If Paul's been to Australia, he'll probably acquire an accent" or "If Paul's been to Australia, he must have acquired an accent".
If Paul's been to Australia, he'll probably have acquired an accent.
No context here, it's a sentence from Grammar and Vocabulary for Cambridge Advanced and Proficiency.
What meaning does the Future Perfect convey here? I am aware that it is a false conditional. My interpretation is either "he will sooner or later acquire an accent" or "must have already acquired an accent". Why not simply say then "If Paul's been to Australia, he'll probably acquire an accent" or "If Paul's been to Australia, he must have acquired an accent".