# if

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/if
Updated: 2026-07-09

## Senses

### 1. condition or possibility

conjunction · CEFR A1

used to say that one thing will happen only if another thing happens first.

For teachers: introduces a conditional clause (the protasis) upon which the main clause (the apodosis) depends.

- If it rains tomorrow, we will have the party inside the house.
- If the company achieves its quarterly targets, the board of directors will likely approve a significant bonus for all staff members.

Usage: In real conditionals, the 'if' clause usually takes a present tense to refer to future possibilities.

### 2. imaginary situations

conjunction · CEFR B1

used to talk about something that is not true now, or is very unlikely to happen.

For teachers: introduces a counterfactual or hypothetical condition, typically requiring the past simple or past perfect in the subordinate clause.

- If I won the lottery, I would travel around the world for a year.
- If the government had acted more decisively during the initial phase of the crisis, the economic fallout might have been significantly mitigated.

Usage: Often used with 'would' in the main clause to describe the result of the imaginary condition.

### 3. whether

conjunction · CEFR A2

used to introduce a question or a choice between two possibilities.

For teachers: functions as a complementizer to introduce an indirect question or a noun clause, often following verbs of asking or doubting.

- I am not sure if the shop is open on Sundays.
- The manager asked the technician if the server migration could be completed without any further downtime for the clients.

Usage: Commonly follows verbs like 'ask', 'know', 'wonder', or 'see'.

### 4. although

conjunction · CEFR B2 · Formal

used to introduce a contrast, similar to 'even though'.

For teachers: used to introduce a concessive clause, often to qualify a statement or admit a contrasting fact.

- It was a good speech, if a little long.
- The results of the study were encouraging, if somewhat inconsistent across the different age groups tested.

### 5. uncertainty

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a condition or a reason to doubt something.

For teachers: a condition, requirement, or uncertainty; frequently used in the plural or the fixed phrase 'no ifs or buts'.

- There are a lot of ifs in this plan, so we need a backup.
- The success of the merger is subject to several major ifs, primarily regarding regulatory approval and shareholder consensus.

## Examples

- If it rains, we will stay inside.
- If you finish your report by five o'clock, you can leave the office early today.
- If the experimental data remains consistent throughout the final phase of testing, the research team will proceed with the publication of their findings in a peer-reviewed journal.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.