
[Middle English, from Old English gif.]
USAGE NOTE In informal writing both if and whether are standard in their use to introduce a clause indicating uncertainty after a verb such as ask, doubt, know, learn, or see: We shall soon learn whether (or if) it is true. In such contexts, however, the use of if can sometimes create ambiguities. Depending on the intended meaning, the sentence Let her know if she is invited might be better paraphrased as Let her know whether she is invited or If she is invited, let her know. • In conditional sentences the clause introduced by if may contain either a past subjunctive verb (if I were going) or an indicative verb (if I am going; if I was going), depending on the intended meaning. According to the traditional rule, the subjunctive should be used to describe an occurrence that is presupposed to be contrary to fact, as in if I were ten years younger or if Napoleon had won at Waterloo. The main verb of such a sentence must then contain the modal verb would or (less frequently) should: If America were still a British colony, we would have an anthem that human voices could sing. If I were the President, I should (or would) declare November 1 a national holiday. When the situation described by the if clause is not presupposed to be false, however, that clause must contain an indicative verb, and the choice of verb in the main clause will depend on the intended meaning: If Hamlet was really written by Marlowe, as many have argued, then we have underestimated Marlowe's genius. If Kevin was out all day, then it makes sense that he couldn't answer the phone. Note also that the presence of the modal verb would in the main clause should not be taken as a sign that the verb in the if clause must be in the subjunctive, if the content of that clause is not presupposed to be false: If there is anything I can do to help, I should be happy to do so. He would always call her from the office if he was (not were) going to be late for dinner. • Again according to the traditional rule, the subjunctive is not correctly used following verbs such as ask or wonder in if clauses that express indirect questions, even if the content of the question is presumed to be contrary to fact: We wondered if dinner was (not were) included in the room price. Some of the people we met even asked us if California was (not were) an island. • With all deference to the traditional rules governing the use of the subjunctive, it should be noted that a survey of the prose of reputable writers over the past 200 years would reveal a persistent tendency to use the indicative was where the traditional rule would require the subjunctive were. A sentence beginning If I was the only boy in the world, while not strictly correct, is wholly unremarkable. But the corresponding practice of using the subjunctive in place of the indicative may be labeled a hypercorrection. • In spoken English there is a growing tendency to use would have in place of the subjunctive in contrary-to-fact clauses, as in if I would have been the President, but this usage is still widely considered incorrect. See Usage Notes at doubt, should, wish.
Well, if that isn't the best thing I've heard since I was home—Compton Mackenzie, 1919
'There's your tea. Drink it.'...'If I could have another lump of sugar.'—Graham Greene, 1988
Natasha, if I could see you for a minute, please—fiction website, American English 2004 [Old English (up to 1150)C].
| idiosyncrasy, idiom, ideology | |
| if and when, ignoramus, ilk |
Idioms beginning with if:
if anything
if at first you don't succeed, try, try again
if it ain't broke don't fix it
if only
if the shoe fits, wear it
if wishes were horses
if worst comes to worst
if you can't beat 'em, join 'em
if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen
See also as if; damned if I do, damned if I don't; make as if to; no ifs or buts; nothing if not; (if) push comes to shove; what if.
| Look up if in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
If is a conjunction that can introduce a conditional clause. If may also refer to:
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Dansk (Danish)
conj. - hvis
n. - betingelser, usikkerhed
idioms:
abbr. - intravenous feeding, intravenøs ernæring
Nederlands (Dutch)
als, indien, of, vraagteken, onzekere factor
Français (French)
conj. - si, pourvu que, à la condition que, à condition de, tenant compte du fait que, même si, bien que
n. - les si et les mais, (fig) point d'interrogation, condition, exigence, stipulation
idioms:
abbr. - (abrév = intermediate frequency) (Radio) fréquence intermédiaire
Deutsch (German)
conj. - wenn, falls, ob
n. - Wenn
idioms:
abbr. - (Radio) Zwischenfrequenz
Ελληνική (Greek)
conj. - εάν, όταν, αν και, μολονότι
n. - εάν
idioms:
idioms:
Português (Portuguese)
conj. - se
n. - condição (f)
idioms:
Русский (Russian)
если, пусть, хотя, ли, если бы
idioms:
Español (Spanish)
conj. - si bien, aunque, si, si es que, en caso que, con tal que
n. - condición , suposición, hipótesis, estipulación
idioms:
abbr. - frecuencia intermedia
Svenska (Swedish)
conj. - om, ifall, såvida, även om
n. - om, villkor
中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
DOS命令, 若真则执行, 测试并确定某特定条件真伪
如果, 即使, 假如, 要是, 是否, 条件, 设想
idioms:
中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
abbr. - DOS命令, 若真則執行, 測試並確定某特定條件真偽
conj. - 如果, 即使, 假如, 要是, 是否
n. - 條件, 設想
idioms:
한국어 (Korean)
conj. - 만약~라면, ~인지 어떤지, ~라 하더라도
n. - 가정, 조건
abbr. - intermediate frequency (중간주파)
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 条件
conj. - もし…ならば, もし…だったなら, たとえ…でも, 万一…なら, …かどうか
idioms:
العربيه (Arabic)
(حرف عطف) إذا (الاسم) افتراض
עברית (Hebrew)
conj. - אם, אילו, כש-, כאשר, למרות
n. - תנאי, הנחה
abbr. - תדירות בינונית (של גלי רדיו)
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