The usage of the Present Simple/Continuous after an "if"

Question

Hello!Help me, please, to figure out the particularities of the usage of the Present Simple/Continuous after an "if". When we say "When + Present Simple/Continuous", the difference is very slight - "When you read/are reading a book..." mean essentially the same - we're talking about occasions of reading. But what happens in sentences like this, where an "if" is used instead:1) "If you write a book, try to concentrate on the story line." 2) "If you are writing a book, try to concentrate on the story line."The way I see these sentences, they both are correct and can refer to future actions. In Sentence 1 the "if" can be substituted with "when" because the second part of the sentence makes it clear that I'm talking about the process and not the result of writing, therefore it's correct to use the Present Simple here.On the other hand, in sentences that sound too "future" it doesn't work well:3) "If you read the book, you might find out some interesting facts". - this is ambiguous whether I'm talking about the process (so "if" can be substituted with "when") or the result (after you've read).Do I get it correct?Thanks!

Khoshtip · Accepted Answer

It's hard to understand what are you looking for but if you are not familiar with conditional forms, #3 is the present unreal form and #1 and #2 are the future possible forms. I would not use "if" there.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

nkspb3) "If you read the book, you might find out some interesting facts".

This is not ambiguous to me. It is a recommendation to read the book.

Nkspb · Answer

I should have used another example, I meant the present form "read", not the past <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

AlpheccaStars · Answer

nkspbI should have used another example, I meant the present form "read", not the past

"If you read the book, you might find out some interesting facts."

"Read" is the simple present. It is used in the sense of a future action.

If you go to London on the opening day of parliament, you might see the Queen.
If you travel to England, be sure to pack a raincoat.
If you follow this trail, you should get to the old Indian camp.

Nkspb · Answer

Thanks for the help.

My misunderstanding arose from the fact that we can use both the Present Simple/Continuous when talking about imaginary long processes:

"When you read/are reading the book, stay concentrated".

Very often I hear the usage of the continuous form without indicating the time with "when" explicitly, like when watching an educational video:

"If this is what you are looking at..."

The question is whether one can use the simple tense here, because we do not refer to an action happening now in fact, we refer to an imaginary action. (Although in this particular example using "look at" sounds weird to me

)

Here is a better example:

"Grab the book and look at the title... If this is what you are reading/read..."

Can the both ways of saying it mean the same? Does the simple form here imply reading as a habit so it's unsuitable? As I see it, native speakers never use present simple in sentences like these (the aspect of "imaginary" might have nothing to do with the choice of tenses), so once we've established that we talk about an imaginary situation, we must use the appropriate tenses as if we are talking about the real one... But I'd like to get clarification on this.

Please, help to understand. Thanks.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

In an if-clause, I think of the simple present as one action (real or not) in the future, and the continuous as an action that has already started and persists over some period into the future. The action can be real or imagined.

If this is what you are reading - implies that I started reading in the past and have not finished.

Example:

1 If you are taking Physics 101, then pay attention to this announcement.
This announcement applies to all students who are currently enrolled in the course.

2. If you take Physics 101, sign up for Dr. Feynman's class, not Dr. Herfstmeier's.
This is advice to my friends who are not currently enrolled in the course, but may take it in the future. I know the professors, and think one is better than the other. I would not use the continuous, because the advice is too late.

nkspb"If this is what you are looking at..."

Not a good example, because the continuous is in a noun clause, not in the if-clause.

The usage of the Present Simple/Continuous after an "if"

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬