A Wobble between Certainty and Uncertainty: The Form and Function of If-Conditionals in Physics Discourse

Abstract

Conditionals are an essential subcategory of English syntax, reflecting scholars’ evolving needs when arguing, debating, or softening statements. This study analyzes the form and function of if-conditionals in physics discourse across both written and spoken registers: the written register includes two specific sub-registers—research papers and editorials—while the spoken register comprises lecture talks. The initial findings contradict the results of some comparable studies. Despite the scientific nature of our data, pragmatic conditionals emerged as the most frequent not only in the spoken register but also in research articles and editorials. Examination of these conditionals shows that they serve different functions in each register. The majority of these conditionals, termed inference conditionals, were epistemic in nature and helped researchers conclude less subjectively, thereby allowing room for further speculation. The remaining pragmatic conditionals were found to be register-specific. Discourse conditionals appeared extensively in the oral register, where speakers primarily used them to engage their audience. Performative conditionals were exclusive to editorials, where they involved advice or recommendations directed at researchers. Our study underscores the importance of inference conditionals in the argumentation and negotiation of results. It also demonstrates that there is no one-to-one correspondence between the form and function of conditionals, as a single form can serve multiple functions, including indicating the coincidence of events, hypothetical situations, or epistemic meanings. Our study also has pedagogical implications for education policymakers. The teaching of conditionals in ESP classes needs to be contextualized, and explicit instruction is required.