if means because?

Question

If he did not call in the morning, he must be at home.

Because he did not call in the morning, I presume he should be at home.

IMO, the two sentences are equivalent.

I would like to invite comments.

thanks

Marius Hancu · Accepted Answer

I don't like if here.
As would be better, IMO.

Inchoateknowledge · Answer

Hi Marius,

I took the example from Swan's Practical E. U.

It did not tell about the meaning, though.

Mr Patrick · Answer

Inchoateknowledge,

Maybe the first sentence allows for some uncertainty about whether he called or not.

The second sentence sounds much more confident that the condition has been met (he did not call).

Schetin · Answer

Inchoateknowledge,

I think your suggestion that the two sentences are synonymous is correct. 'If' does have connotation of surprise (not uncertainty) but this emotional tint in no way changes the meaning on the whole.

Call me Slava.

P.S. The contexts for both will differ, of course.

Marius Hancu · Answer

>I took the example from Swan's Practical E. U.

Which section? On "if"? Section title, section number, page, pls. Were both sentences there?

Goodman · Answer

Marius Hancu>I took the example from Swan's Practical E. U.

Which section? On "if"? Section title, section number, page, pls. Were both sentences there?

If he did not call in the morning, he must be at home. This implies a certain degree of uncertainty about [his calling]. The [if] and [must] relationship already has an implied presumption.

Because he did not call in the morning, I presume he should be at home. When I see the word [because], I detect a notion that something has materialized as a result which is contradictory to [presumption].

I think these two sentences do have a similar significance in meaning but when we try to dissect rhetoric, logic and deductive reasoning, they are not equal. That’s Just how see it.

I could be wrong…

MrPedantic · Answer

Another interpretation (I've changed #2 a little, to make it more natural):

1. If he did not call in the morning, he must be at home.

This has at least two possible meanings:

i) The speaker knows that he did not call in the morning (perhaps the speaker was there):

"Since he didn't call in the morning, he must be at home."

In this context, the structure in #1 might be used e.g. to explain an obvious inference to someone. In such cases, it would often be preceded by "But", i.e. "But if he didn't do X, he must have done Y!"

ii) The speaker has it on good authority that he did not call in the morning (perhaps you told him):

"Accepting the fact that he didn't call in the morning, he must be at home."

2. Because he did not call in the morning, (I presume) he must be at home.

This is more or less the same as the first meaning above, 1(i).

MrP

CalifJim · Answer

The proposition that he did not call in the morning is not necessarily true in the first sentence. It is necessarily true in the second. Therefore, the two are not equivalent. (The difference to me is similar to the difference between may be and is.)

-- Maybe he called Mary this morning. Maybe he didn't. But I wonder what that might mean about where he is now.
-- Well, let's think. If he did not call in the morning, he must be at home. (Shows how a hypothetical situation in the if clause is related to a certain logical conclusion that can be drawn.)
-- In that case we'd better talk to Mary and find out whether he called her this morning or not. That way we'll know if he's home.
-- Hello? Mary? Did he call this morning?
-- No, he definitely did not call.
-- OK. Now I know the truth about the situation. Because he did not call in the morning, I presume he should be at home. (Shows what can be concluded on the basis of known, factual evidence in the because clause.)

CJ

Marius Hancu · Answer

After reading the other postings, my impression that 1) is a obfuscating/confusing sentence has only aggravated.

That, to me, is just bad writing (even if composed by Swan himself).

Schetin · Answer

Another likewise example:

If he's not here anymore, he must have left the company. (Mark Ellis, Nina O'Driscoll, Adrian Pilbeam, "Professional English" Longman Group ltd. 1984).

if means because?

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