Grammar-Quizzes › Connectors › Connective Prepositions › Conditional › If vs. In case
CONDITIONED ACTION | |
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Do this action after X happens or might happen — this is an emergency action. |
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SECOND ACTION | FIRST ACTION (REQUIRED) |
ADVICE | CONDITION |
Use the batteries and bottled water |
if there is an earthquake. |
Use the fire extinguisher |
if there is a kitchen fire. |
Use the first-aid kit |
if you cut yourself. |
PRECAUTIONARY ACTION | |
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Do this action before X happens or might happen — this is an emergency preparation (a precaution). |
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FIRST ACTION | SECOND ACTION |
PRECAUTION | SITUATION |
Keep some extra batteries and bottled water on hand |
in case there is an earthquake. |
Buy a fire extinguisher |
in the event (that) there is a kitchen fire. |
Have a first-aid kit on hand |
should you cut yourself. |
on hand (Adj) – something that can be used, be easily found, be available
precaution (N) – something you do in order to prevent something dangerous or unpleasant from happening
precautionary (Adj) – adjective form of the above word
prepare (V) – do something in advance in order to be ready
See If - Statements
(Azar 17-9) (Murphy §114) (Swan 271) (Huddleston 7 §3.2, 8 §14.4c)
PRESENT PRECAUTION — URGENT SITUATION | |
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Use present, present progressive or future tense in the precaution clause. Use present tense for the urgent-situation in the "in the event" phrase. |
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PRECAUTION – PRESENT | CONDITION – PRESENT |
We store emergency supplies |
in the event an accident occurs. |
Men keep a canary with them in a coal mine |
in case the air turns bad. (present habit) |
I will carry an umbrella in my car trunk |
in case it rains. (present verb form) |
PAST PRECAUTION— URGENT SITUATION | |
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Use past tense for habitual precautions in the past, especially with used to or would. Use past tense in the clause with the urgent situation. |
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PRECAUTION – PAST | CONDITION – PAST |
We would keep emergency supplies |
in the event an accident occurred. (past habit) |
Men carried a canary in a cage into a coal mine |
in case the air turned bad. (past routine) |
I used to carry an umbrella in my car trunk |
in case it rained. (past habit) |
independent clause– main clause, matrix clause; subord cls – dependent clause – subordinate clause
INITIAL POSITION | |
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PRECAUTION | CONDITION |
In the event (that) you need to reach me, |
carry your mobile phone. |
In case you need to reach me, |
carry your mobile phone. |
Should you need to reach me, |
carry your mobile phone. |
MID-POSITON | |
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CONDITION | PRECAUTION |
Carry your mobile phone |
in the event you need me. |
Carry your mobile phone |
in case you need me. |
Carry your mobile phone |
should you need me. |
fronting (N) – a linguistic term for positioning a phrase that usually occurs after the verb to a position in front of the verb or the clause. Also called pre-posing.
ERROR |
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*Call me in case you need help. (Call me now as a precaution for needing help later – not logical) |
*Let's hide in case he comes in. |
*He has left his car keys with the neighbor in case someone needs to move his car. |
SOLUTION |
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Call me if you need help. (Call me at the moment when you need help, not before.) |
I'll keep my phone turned on in case you call and need help. (I'll turn it on as a precaution.) |
Let's hide if he comes in. (Hide at the moment when he comes in, not before.) |
He left his car keys with the neighbor in case someone needs to move his car. (Present perfect is used to focus on time: duration or recency. There is no need to focus on time. This is a simple series of events. Use past tense.) |
*Yellow highlighting indicates example of incorrect usage.
Pop-Q – "In case"
alternate(Adj) – other plans, a "Plan B" used if "Plan A" fails
See If - Statements for more examples of conditional statements.