If

We often useifto introduce possible or impossible situations or conditions and their results. The situations or conditions can be real, imagined or uncertain:

I usually make a sandwich to take to workifI have enough time.(real)

Ifyou don’t book now, you won’t get good tickets.(real)

They’d have got the job done quickerifthey’d had more people working on it.(imagined)

Will you bring my glasses downifyou go upstairs?(uncertain)

We can sometimes leave words out afterifto form fixed expressions:

Check the temperature of your meat with a meat thermometerif possible.(if it’s possible or if that’s possible)

Interest rates would have to riseif necessaryto protect the pound, Mr John Smith, Shadow Chancellor, indicated yesterday on BBC TV’s Money Programme.

We usesoornotafterifwhen it isobvious what we are referring to:

[from a job advertisement]

Are you looking for part-time work? Do you want to work from home?If so, read on.(if you are looking for part-time work or if you want to work from home)

You should all have received your booklist for the course by now.If not, please email the office.(if you haven’t received your booklist for the course by now)

I’ll see you soon, definitely at the wedding,if notbefore.(if I don’t see you before the wedding)

We can useeven ifto meanifwhen talking about surprising or extreme situations:

You’re still going to be coldeven ifyou put on two or three jumpers.

We useifto introduce reportedyes-noquestions and questions withor.

We useonly ifto express a strong condition, often an order or command, to mean ‘on the condition that’. It has an opposite meaning to ‘except if’:

Payment will be madeonly ifthe work is completed on time.

Alright I’ll come butonly ifI can bring a friend with me.

We often separateonlyandif, usingonlyin the main clause:

He’llonlytake the jobifthey offer him more money.

We’llonlyachieve our targetsifeveryone works together.

In speaking, we often useifto introduce a polite request.Ifis usually followed by modal verbswill, would, canorcouldwhen it is used to be polite:

Ifyou’ll just tell Julie that her next client is here.(Can you tell Julie that …)

Ifyou would like to follow me.(Please follow me.)