4.2.3.3. If this, then that

Whew! We're done with relative clauses. They're so helpful to the language learner, but a bit complicated to think about. Fortunately, in many languages they are not very complicated to learn. The rest of the types of sentences I discuss are much easier to discuss, though any of them could turn out to be complicated in a particular language.

Expressions of the form “If I come to town, then I will visit you” are another type of expression which you need to be able to understand, and, eventually, to speak, in order to be a basic speaker of the language. There are at least three important types of “if-then” sentences. In one type, the if-clause is understood to pertain to the future: “If I come to town [future], then I will visit you.” This is probably the most useful type, and it may be enough for you as a basic speaker. A second type has the if-clause pertaining to the present state of affairs: “If he is not at work today, he may be sick”. The third type relates to hypothetical states of affairs which are not the way things are in reality: “If he were here, he could tell us.”

Techniques: To learn to comprehend if-clauses which pertain to the present state of affairs, you may be able to combine them with commands, and use TPR: “If I am holding something which we eat, take it from me and put it into your mouth.” Future oriented if-then sentences can also be combined with commands in many cases. The LRP first says, “If I fold the cloth, bend the pipe.” She then performs various actions, but at some random point she folds the cloth, and that is the point at which you respond by bending the pipe.

You can use pictures to cover the contrary-to-fact variety of if-then sentence. The LRP can look at each picture and imagine what the results would be if the person in the picture had not done whatever s/he is doing: “If this man had not ploughed his field, he could not have planted his corn.” Actually, an assortment of these contrary-to-fact sentences can be used with pictures. “If this man were short, he would not be able to reach that apple”, “If this man had ploughed my field, I could have rested.”