A conditional alternative is an option plus the circumstance in which it works. Offering two of them shows you can see more than one route and know what each depends on.
This lesson follows building a causal chain and belongs to case analysis and evaluation.
Why use “if” statements?
An option such as “sell online” is neither right nor wrong on its own. Whether it pays depends on numbers and circumstances in the case.
Stating the condition makes your evaluation specific. It also prepares your conclusion, which can say which condition the evidence supports.
How do you write them?
- Name two realistic options that aim at the same objective.
- Find what each needs to succeed, often a break-even number or a customer behaviour.
- Write the condition in the form “this works if …”.
- Check the case for evidence that the condition is likely, unlikely or unknown.
Worked example
Kek Lapis Dayang in Kuching makes layered cakes. Each cake sells for RM25 and costs RM17 in ingredients. The owner wants more profit without borrowing money.
Option A, a weekend stall: the pitch costs RM150 each weekend. A trial weekend sold 25 cakes.
Option B, online orders: a website costs RM60 a month. Packaging and courier add RM5 per cake. There is no sales data yet.
Step 1, option A contribution: 25 − 17 = RM8 per cake. Break-even: 150 ÷ 8 = 18.75, so 19 cakes. Check: 19 × 8 = 152, and 18 × 8 = 144.
Step 2, condition A: the stall adds profit if she sells at least 19 cakes each weekend. The trial of 25 gives 25 × 8 = 200, less 150, so RM50 profit.
Step 3, option B contribution: 25 − 17 − 5 = RM3 per cake. Break-even: 60 ÷ 3 = 20 orders a month.
Step 4, condition B: online selling adds profit if she receives at least 20 orders a month. The case gives no data, so this condition is unknown.
Written for an answer:
“A weekend stall adds profit if she sells at least 19 cakes each weekend, and the trial of 25 suggests she can. Online selling adds profit if she gets at least 20 orders a month, but the case gives no evidence of demand.”
Each option now has a test the reader can see. The next lesson shows how to turn this into a conclusion.
The mistake to watch for
A common slip is to write two options with no condition at all.
Mistaken answer: “She could sell at a stall, which might increase sales. She could also sell online, which might also increase sales.”
Both statements are possible but neither can be checked. They also say nothing about cost.
The correction is to add the circumstance and a threshold: “if she sells 19 or more”, “if she gets 20 or more orders”. Then use the case to say which condition looks likelier.
Check yourself
Try these on paper, then open each answer.
1. A stall fee is RM240 a weekend and each cake gives RM12 contribution. How many cakes are needed to break even?
Show answer
240 ÷ 12 = 20 cakes a weekend.
2. Rewrite as a conditional alternative: “Advertising on social media might work.”
Show answer
One possible answer: “Advertising on social media adds profit if the extra orders it brings give more contribution than the advert costs. For an advert costing RM1,000 and a RM20 contribution per order, that means more than 50 extra orders.” Check: 1,000 ÷ 20 = 50.
3. Which statement is a usable condition? (a) “Option B could be good.” (b) “Option B pays if at least 20 orders arrive each month.”
Show answer
(b). It states a threshold that can be compared with evidence. Statement (a) cannot be tested.
Where this leads next
Next, learn to choose between the options in writing a conclusion tied to the objective. The mixed practice set mixes all five skills. The cash versus profit bridge helps when an option needs money paid before sales arrive, and the ratios tool is useful for the percentages inside a condition.
If you can state conditions but find it hard to judge which one the evidence favours, that is something our teachers practise in online one-to-one Business tuition.