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How do English-speaking people convey uncertainty about past possibilities using if clauses in their writing and speech? For instance, when one is unsure about whether an event occurred in the past, but its likelihood is contingent on another possibility. Is it correct for a detective to say, "Whether he killed her or not, we will know if he stole her belongings"?

vahid vahidi
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You could say "We would know if he killed her if we knew whether he stole her belongings".

Your sentence isn't ungrammatical but I would understand it differently.

Whether he killed her or not.... (we don't and can't know if he killed her)

we will know if he stole her belongings (although it won't help decide if he is a murderer, we will soon know if he is a thief)

James K
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  • Thanks for your detailed answer. From what I understand, it is safe to use the second conditional to talk about past events in this context. is that correct? – vahid vahidi Jan 20 '24 at 17:46
  • I have used a second conditional, I don't think that's the only way to talk about past possibility. Another way would be modal verbs "He might have killed her, and we'll know if we find out if he stole her belongings" – James K Jan 20 '24 at 17:50
  • I believe I grasped the essence. Thanks a million. – vahid vahidi Jan 20 '24 at 17:58