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Subject:Re: if and when... From:Romay Jean Sitze <rositze -at- NMSU -dot- EDU> Date:Thu, 29 Jun 1995 23:16:42 -0600
On Thu, 29 Jun 1995, Pat Madea wrote:
> The following sentences,
> "If a truck is in READY status, it is available for assignment."
> "When a truck is in READY status, it is available for assignment."
> convey different meanings. Or, do they?
I'm sure others will correct me if I'm wrong, but to me, "If" conveys a
slightly greater element of uncertainty than "When". When reading the
two sentences above, I would assume from the first that you might be
making a general statement of possibility, whereas, the second suggests a
more definite condition of probability.
