What if

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jack112

#153563 Mon, 31 Oct 05 04:34 PM

Are these two the same? What do they mean?

1. What if it broke when you fell?

2. What if it broke if I fell?

Thanks.

jack112

Joined on Thu, Jul 22 2004

Regular Member (715)

CalifJim

#153570 Mon, 31 Oct 05 04:44 PM

1. The speaker is suggesting that you may have broken it when you fell. He is presumably offering a reason why it hurts so much now.
2. Not a likely utterance. More likely: What if I fell and broke it? It means "What will I do after I fall and break it? - if that's what happens." It shows some concern about undertaking something somewhat dangerous, I'd say.

CJ

CalifJim

Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004

California

Veteran Member (16,964)

"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

Pinenut

#153582 Mon, 31 Oct 05 05:45 PM

CalifJim wrote:
1. The speaker is suggesting that you may have broken it when you fell. He is presumably offering a reason why it hurts so much now.
2. Not a likely utterance. More likely: What if I fell and broke it? It means "What will I do after I fall and break it? - if that's what happens." It shows some concern about undertaking something somewhat dangerous, I'd say.

CJ

It may be easier to understand the grammatical construction if we put it in a little different way.

What would happen if I fell and broke it? = What if I fell and broke it? [One describes an unlikely hypothetical situation in the present.]

Pinenut

Joined on Fri, Oct 14 2005

Illinois, U.S.A.

Full Member (108)

Constructions