How to Use the Phrase “if any”

Some phrases and expressions can stump even the most fluent of audio system.

For example, loads of English audio system will say, “I might care much less” when they’re attempting to present their indifference in the direction of one thing.

Nevertheless, that’s unsuitable. You see, what “I might care much less” says is that you simply form of care, at the very least to the extent that you may afford to care much less.

The right expression is “I couldn’t care much less.” This expression says that you’re so detached that it’s unimaginable to scale back how a lot you care about the scenario.

One other phrase that may stump many audio system is “if any.” It may be tough to work out the place to place this expression in a sentence and how to use it each in speech and in writing.

How to use “if any”?

There are two foremost sorts of “if any.” There may be the regular one which comes up in bizarre conditional sentences, and there may be the interjectory one that’s used to spotlight a specific level.

The one which comes up in conditional statements isn’t that fascinating and is fairly easy, so we received’t waste loads of time on it.

Nevertheless, the interjectory one is the one we would like to look right into a bit.

The interjectory “if any” is used to point out that the naked minimal of one thing will most likely not occur or won’t come to go.

And, when utilizing it, there are two stuff you need to be mindful. Firstly, “if any” creates emphasis in your sentence, however this emphasis works best while you use distinction.

Secondly, “if any” ought to comply with the noun that it’s emphasizing, one thing we’ll focus on shortly.

Beginning with “if any” the conditional

Let’s get the easiest case out of the approach.

“If any” can act similar to every other conditional assertion, and it’ll comply with the guidelines of conditional statements.

If any man or lady ought to have a purpose why these two shouldn’t be wed, communicate now or perpetually maintain your peace.

I wasn’t positive if any e-book might assist me solve the query.

If any guards had seen them are available in, the robbers wouldn’t have had the likelihood to steal all that cash.

The interjectory “if any”

Now, let’s have a look at the truly fascinating case.

When used as an interjectory assertion, “if any” highlights how little there may be of one thing.

The seminar had only a few key takeaways, if any.

What the above instance is saying is that “the number of key takeaways provided by the seminar was so small that there might need been no key takeaways to communicate of in any respect.”

For a few of you, this interpretation could be complicated, however I promise it would make sense in a minute.

So, there are some things I need you to discover about the above instance.

For starters, “if any” is preceded by a comma, and that is due to its standing as an interjectory assertion.

He knew a small number of professors, if any, who might solve this downside.

On this instance, “if any” is surrounded by a comma on each side. Once more, that is due to its standing as an interjectory assertion.

The second factor to discover is that “if any” got here proper after the noun it was modifying, which was “takeaways” in the above instance.

This may be tough as a result of there are lots of methods to get this unsuitable. Let’s have a look at a couple of examples.

What have been, if any, the key takeaways of the seminar?

In the above instance, “if any” precedes the noun it’s supposed to refer to, “the key takeaways.” So, the whole sentence feels unusual when learn, and even although the confusion right here is minimized, there are different circumstances the place issues can get messy.

He noticed, if any, a number of ships however few tanks.

The above instance is a large number. What’s “if any” supposed to refer to? It will possibly’t refer to the ships as a result of he noticed a number of of them, so it has to refer to the tanks.

However, this isn’t solely unhealthy writing. It’s the form of writing that might trigger any reader to cease lifeless of their tracks attempting to decipher what you simply wrote, and that’s simply not what you need.

The third factor to discover is that there was some distinction. In different phrases, the sentence itself asserts that there have been some takeaways from the seminar, albeit them being only a few.

It’s the interjectory “if any” that casts doubt on the preliminary assertion.

You see, “if any” is a approach for the speaker to form of backtrack, to say that there was so little or few of one thing that there might need been none in any respect. It’s a approach of doubting the preliminary assertion.

This is the reason the following instance is unsuitable.

He noticed no advantages, if any.

On this instance, there is no such thing as a distinction. The primary sentence already asserts that there have been no advantages, so the “if any” neither provides any new info nor casts any doubt on the assertion.

Nevertheless, “if any” doesn’t have to solely forged doubt. It may be used to present that even the minimal of one thing can be enough. The next two examples will clarify this higher.

The advantages, if any, of this undertaking might have a significant upside.

Right here, though the speaker might need doubts about the existence of advantages, they’re asserting that any profit by any means, irrespective of how small, would nonetheless have a significant upside.

The emphasis right here is on the upside potential of even the smallest profit.

The advantages, if any, are paltry in contrast to the dangers concerned.

Alternatively, this instance reveals a case the place the speaker isn’t positive {that a} undertaking has any advantages.

The emphasis right here is on the lack of advantages and on the incontrovertible fact that even when there have been advantages, they don’t examine to the dangers.