If you haven't already watched my first video, there's a link to it in the description below. Ungrammatical?

Question

I just finished recording an audio file for one of my podcasts. And I'm debating whether I should delete the following sentence:

If you haven't already watched my first video, there's a link to it in the description below.

I am trying to suggest to viewers that they watch my videos in order, which I think the sentence does. But I think this sentence is also ungrammatical and nonsensical.

Whether or not my viewers have watched my first video, a link to that video will be in the description.

I suppose I could change it to

If you haven't already watched my first video, please watch that first. You can find a link to it in the description below.

But changing audio files is such a pain. Would it be ok to leave the sentence as is?

This conditional refers not to the content of the clause, but to its performative. It means 'If you haven't already watched my first video, I hereby tell you that there's a link to it in the description below.' That's because one can always add "I hereby tell you that S', to any sentence S without changing the meaning -- it's obvious, and therefore it is presupposed and can be referred to. Examples abound: In case you weren't tuned in, the score is Detroit 2, Chicago 1; If you need one, there are umbrellas in the hall. Etc. — John Lawler, Aug 07 '17 at 03:24
For me, the gap is in the logic, not the grammar, worth resolving as follows: If you haven't already watched my first video yet, use the link to it in the description below. — Yosef Baskin, Aug 07 '17 at 03:46
Also related: Term for if-then statements where the “then” part does not logically follow — Laurel, Aug 07 '17 at 15:44

If you haven't already watched my first video, there's a link to it in the description below. Ungrammatical?

0 Answers0

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