if
Introduces conditional clauses
The tiny word if has two indispensable jobs.
One is to refer to a situation that exists only in your imagination: If I don’t get some food soon I’ll collapse. They would call if they got my message.
The other is to report a yes/no question.
Are you going to stay another night? is reported as She asked if I was going to stay another night.
In this second function, if has the same meaning as whether.
From its use to indicate hypotheticals and questions, if has developed as a noun meaning a condition, stipulation, or supposition: There are too many ifs in this contract for us to sign it now.
At that time
- elseIndicating an alternative
- whetherConjunction expressing doubt
- unlessExcept if
- providedSupplied or given
assuming · supposing · given · whenever · wherever · only · except · otherwise
Conjunction expressing doubt
- doubtLack of firm belief
- hesitationDelay from uncertainty
- ambiguityOpenness to multiple interpretations
- questionRequest for information
unknown · unsure · maybe · perhaps · possibly · undecided · unclear · indeterminate
Concessive conjunction
whenever · provided · unless · as long as · in case · supposing · assuming · granted
Accept as true tentatively
- imagineForm mental pictures
- scenarioPostulated event sequence
- thought experimentHypothetical scenario for reasoning
- speculationUnproven theorizing or risky investment
conjecture · counterfactual · alternate · possibility · projection · theoretical · assumption · presumption
then
At that time
provided · assuming · supposing · given · whenever · wherever · only · except · otherwise · contingent
whether
Conjunction expressing doubt
- doubtLack of firm belief
- hesitationDelay from uncertainty
- ambiguityOpenness to multiple interpretations
question · unknown · unsure · maybe · perhaps · possibly · undecided · unclear · indeterminate · questionable
although
Concessive conjunction
while · whenever · provided · unless · as long as · in case · supposing · assuming · granted · whether or not
suppose
Accept as true tentatively
- imagineForm mental pictures
- scenarioPostulated event sequence
- thought experimentHypothetical scenario for reasoning
speculation · conjecture · counterfactual · alternate · possibility · projection · theoretical · assumption · presumption · pretend
decision
Settled course of action
- optionAvailable course of action
- alternativeAnother available choice
- crossroadsMeeting of routes
dilemma · either-or · fork · branching · path · selection · either · or · tradeoff · deliberation
Without any doubt
definitely · surely · undoubtedly · necessarily · absolutely
Without any limitations
whether or not · regardless · no matter what · then · in any case
as if, if not, even if, iffy, and if, ifs, iffier, what if, if only