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Pastsimple Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
If / When - The Great Mystery Revisited
I posted this some time ago but got no answers because all native speakers seemed to be having a (well-deserved!) holiday. Here it is again:
What often puzzles non-native speakers (me included) are the sentences when either if or when is possible (i.e. you can use either).
Are there any general rules that explain when either is fine?
1)
a. When / If I'm ill, I lie in bed.
Is there any, however subtle, difference in meaning between if and when in this sentence?
I think that both when and if can be replaced with "every time" here:
Every time I'm ill, I lie in bed.
Another example that I think falls into this "category":
b. Many people don't care when / if they see a woman breastfeeding her baby in a public place such as a park.
2) What if we are describing character traits and habits:
a. When / if you like to cause harm, you are evil.
b. When / if you drink alcohol to excess habitually, you are an alcoholic.
In a., when sounds odd to me. In b., both look OK to me.
3) What about:
Many people don't care when / if a woman breastfeeds her baby in a public place such as a park.
Here, I'd go for if.
Thanks in advance, as always.
What often puzzles non-native speakers (me included) are the sentences when either if or when is possible (i.e. you can use either).
Are there any general rules that explain when either is fine?
1)
a. When / If I'm ill, I lie in bed.
Is there any, however subtle, difference in meaning between if and when in this sentence?
I think that both when and if can be replaced with "every time" here:
Every time I'm ill, I lie in bed.
Another example that I think falls into this "category":
b. Many people don't care when / if they see a woman breastfeeding her baby in a public place such as a park.
2) What if we are describing character traits and habits:
a. When / if you like to cause harm, you are evil.
b. When / if you drink alcohol to excess habitually, you are an alcoholic.
In a., when sounds odd to me. In b., both look OK to me.
3) What about:
Many people don't care when / if a woman breastfeeds her baby in a public place such as a park.
Here, I'd go for if.
Thanks in advance, as always.
Top answer
Michael Swan has this to say: A person who says when (referring to the future) is sure that something will happen. A person who says if is unsure whether it will happen or not. To talk about repeated, predictable situations and events (in the sense of 'whenever').
- Michael Swan has this to say: A person who says when (referring to the future) is sure that something will happen.
- A person who says if is unsure whether it will happen or not.
- To talk about repeated, predictable situations and events (in the sense of 'whenever').
- both when and if can be used with little difference in meaning .
- That about sums it up, and succinctly.
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1 Answers
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Michael Swan has this to say:
A person who says when (referring to the future) is sure that something will happen. A person who says if is unsure whether it will happen or not.
To talk about repeated, predictable situations and events (in the sense of 'whenever'). both when and if can be used with little difference in meaning.
That abo
A person who says when (referring to the future) is sure that something will happen. A person who says if is unsure whether it will happen or not.
To talk about repeated, predictable situations and events (in the sense of 'whenever'). both when and if can be used with little difference in meaning.
That abo
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