Gramática: O uso do condicional

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Jack Scholes

If you can walk, you can dance.
If you can talk, you can sing.
If you can walk, you can dance.
If you can talk, you can sing.

Zimbabwe proverb

If

If is often used in conditional sentences to talk about uncertain events and unreal or imagined situations. The if-clause often refers to something which must happen so that something else can happen – 

• If I see her, I’ll tell her to phone you (= I may or may not see her).

When we are not talking about unreal or imagined situations, we use the same tense in both parts of the sentence.

• If you want to learn another language, you have to study a lot.

Iffy

Informally, we use the word iffy to mean ‘not certain’.

• She’s still kind of iffy about the trip to Spain.

Cf. Gramática: Conditional I
Cf. Gramática: Conditional II
Cf. Gramática: Conditional III

Referência: “Gems of Wisdom – Inspirational Messages to Enhance the Quality of Your Life and Improve Your English” de Jack Scholes – Disal Editora, 2007. Leia a resenha.