Business & Technical Writing/If and When


QUESTION: Hi Warren,

Which is proper
If it is already working, I'll give you a call.


When it is already working, I'll give you a call.

Already means it's already done right. Could you also give a brief explanation to your answer.

Thanks a lot.


ANSWER: OK, Bernard. I think it would build your self-confidence if you could figure out the answer to your own question. I also think the answer is looking you right in the eye, but you might have stared at the problem for so long that you can't see it. Problems are like that sometimes.

I'm going to try to encourage you to answer your own question by answering some questions I'm going to ask you. I'll ask them one at a time. I'll bet that you can see the answer to what you asked me when you answer my questions.

Here we go:

Do you know the difference between (a) an independent clause and (b) a dependent clause? (It's really crucial that you know the difference. This is one of the two keys to you seeing the answer.)

Bear with me here, and you'll see why we're doing it this way.



QUESTION: Yes, I do know. Then let's change the sentences to loose sentences. hich would be correct.
I'll give you a call if it's already working.
I'll give you a call when it's already working.

My focus is the world "already" to be appropriate to which of the two.

You didn't answer my question, and your rewritten sentences do not solve the problem. Therefore, I'm not convinced you know the difference. However, you have the correct focus.

Adverbs weaken and confuse writing . Avoid them.

Remove the same adverb from both sentences.

In your opinion, which altered sentence is correct?


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Warren D. Miller








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