Вопрос школьника
Compare the sentences.
• If you aren’t on time, I’ll go without you.
Unless you’re on time, I’ll go without you.
• When John comes, we’ll have dinner together. (= John will definitely come.
If John comes, we’ll have dinner together.
Ответ от учителя
The first pair of sentences are examples of conditional statements, where the first clause sets a condition that must be met for the second clause to occur. The first sentence, «If you aren’t on time, I’ll go without you,» implies that the person being addressed must be on time in order to join the speaker. If they are not on time, the speaker will leave without them.
The second sentence, «Unless you’re on time, I’ll go without you,» has the same meaning as the first sentence, but the condition is stated in a negative way. The implication is that if the person being addressed is not on time, the speaker will leave without them.
The second pair of sentences also involve conditional statements, but with a different emphasis. The first sentence, «When John comes, we’ll have dinner together,» implies that John’s arrival is certain and that the speaker and John will have dinner together.
The second sentence, «If John comes, we’ll have dinner together,» suggests that John’s arrival is not certain, but if he does come, the speaker and John will have dinner together. This sentence leaves open the possibility that John may not come, and therefore the dinner plans may not happen.
Overall, the differences between these sentences lie in the way the conditions are stated and the certainty of the events they describe.
