I'm a little intimidated asking this on this website, being an engineer, but I've wondered this often the past few months so I wanted to ask. It seems that whenever "if" is used, then it almost always turns the sentence into a conditional. Sometimes "then" is directly stated, other times it is implied. When can you use if and it not be conditional? While listening to a book on tape, I heard something like "Another benefit is that you will make forward progress, if languid." Here, if seemed to mean "despite being". Any other examples you can think of?
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1There exists what some call a "pseudo conditional": If you're thirsty, [then] there's beer in the fridge. Of course there's beer in the fridge whether you're thirsty or not.– Tinfoil HatAug 26, 2021 at 3:50
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"If" also occurs commonly as a subordinator in interrogatives, e.g. "He asked me if I was going to the concert" / "I wonder if he has read my report yet".– BillJAug 26, 2021 at 6:25
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This is an interesting question because of the fundamentally conditional nature of the word “if”. To all voters: consider keeping it open.– LawrenceAug 26, 2021 at 6:27
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I assumed from the question that the OP is familiar with the various ways if is used when a condition is involved and was interested in these other uses. Yes, if can be used as in If you're thirsty... (I'm supposing/offering -- I don't know) and also If/given that you're thirsty (you've made it clear)..– DjinTonicAug 26, 2021 at 12:55
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1 Answer
Yes, if has other uses/meanings:
if (conjunction)
WHETHER
Asked if the mail had come
I doubt if I'll pass the courseEven though : although perhaps
An interesting if untenable argumentAnd perhaps not even
Few if any changes are expected
— Often used with not
Difficult if not impossibleIf anything
On the contrary even : perhaps even
If anything, you ought to apologize m-w
If can also be a noun, as in There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it!
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It might be useful to point out that your first two examples are interrogatives.– BillJAug 26, 2021 at 6:28
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He didn't know if the mail had come, for example, isn't a question; nor is I don't know if I'll pass the course. Aug 26, 2021 at 9:09
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"If the mail had come" and "if I'll pass the course" are subordinate interrogative clauses (embedded questions).– BillJAug 26, 2021 at 12:29
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Why? The fact is that those "if" expressions are interrogatives, as I said. Do you disagree?– BillJAug 26, 2021 at 12:57
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The first has a sort of embedded question by virtue of the if, but there is no question mark at the end. The sentence itself isn't an interrogative. I doubt if I'll pass the course IMO isn't an embedded question. You could say I'm "questioning" myself, but it's not much different from I doubt that I'll pass the course. Aug 26, 2021 at 13:02