☜ ☞

If(Ka)

If(Ka)
Sentences containing the word if are called conditional sentences because they usually express a condition.

English	Acholi
if he comes, ask him to wait	Ka en obino, peny en weki Okur
if it rains, we will get wet	Ka kot ocwer, wa bi diak
If you study hard, you will pass your exam	ka i kwano matek, i bi kato peny ni

There are four types of if sentences in English.

The zero conditional

In a zero conditional sentence, we use a present tense in both parts of the sentence.

English	Acholi
If you give respect, you get respect	Ka i miyo woro, I nongo woro
If you heat ice, it melts	Ka ilieto pe, en ngoo

The type zero conditional sentences are used to talk about real and possible situations.
Type 1 conditional

Type 1 conditional sentences are used to talk about possible situations and their probable results. In these sentences we use the simple present in the if clause and the simple future in the result clause.

English	Acholi
If you work hard, you will succeed	Ka i tiyo matek, i bi lony
If you ask him, he will help you	Ka i penyo en, en bi kony in
If you invite them, they will come	Ka i lwongo gin, gi bi bino

Type 2 conditional

These sentences are used to talk about an unlikely condition and its probable result. Here the tense in the if clause is the simple past and the tense in the main clause is the present conditional (would + get).

English	Acholi
If you asked him, he would help you	ka i penyo en, en bi twero kony
If you studied hard, you would pass your exam	ka i kwano matek, i bi twero kato peny ni
If you invited them, they would come	Ka i lwongo gin, do gi bino

Type 3 conditional

In a type 3 conditional sentence, the tense in the if clause is the past perfect and the tense in the main clause is the perfect conditional (would have + infinitive).

English	Acholi
If you had invited them, they would have come	Ka onongo do i jol gin, do gi bino
If you had asked him, he would have helped you	ka onongo do i peny en, en do bi konyo in

☜ ☞