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Does the use of "if after" change nothing with the rules of if-conditionals?

Are these sentences okay?

If after all we'll do will make no effect, then why are we still trying?

If after all we('re) do(ing) will make no effect, then why are we still trying?

If after all we're about to do makes no effect, then why are we still trying?

I know you can't will or would in the if-clause, but I'm confused because there can be two will in this example.

Should I choose one and leave the other? Or get rid of both of them?

If after all we do makes no effect, then why are we still trying?

What about "if after life"? Should I use the type 1 conditional (possible) or the type 2 conditional (hypothetical). And is it okay to combine if-conditionals?

If after life I go to your room, will you be scared as if you see a zombie?

Lastly, is it never okay to say as if I'm or as if I was, so always use as if I were? Or it depends on how likely something is, but still never as if I was?

Mini question, shouldn't I use the there? Why or why not?

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  • I have a problem parsing all of your after all sentences. I'm missing an object. You could say if, after all, what we do makes no difference.... Note that you don't make an effect. You have an effect, or you make a difference. I think you are misunderstanding the meaning of after all. It just means "in the end". Try substituting that for after all and you will see where your sentence goes wrong: If in the end we do makes no difference doesn't sound right, does it?
    – oerkelens
    Jun 3, 2017 at 17:01
  • Thank you! Yes, I think I just needed to know their meanings and always use parenthetical commas, right? And for the after life, it just means "life after death," about people's beliefs. So if I put two commas at both end, it'll make sense now. But I still don't know about which word to choose after as if. I've asked another question, please answer in that if you know.
    – Xyenz
    Jun 4, 2017 at 16:40
  • After all is an idiom. After doesn't relate to if at all here.
    – Colin Fine
    May 21, 2021 at 19:34

1 Answer 1

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If after all we'll do will make no effect, then why are we still trying?
If after all we('re) do(ing) will make no effect, then why are we still trying?
If after all we're about to do makes no effect, then why are we still trying?

Non of these three sentences are correct, it should be your fourth sentence

If after all we do will have no effect, then why are we still trying?

and is usually stated as

If everything we do will have no effect, then why are we still trying?

the "after" is implied.

Your final sentence is not very clear

If after life I go to your room, will you be scared as if you see a zombie?

are you talking about your death or the other person's death?
Since you probably mean

If after I die I go to your room, will you be scared that you will see a zombie?

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  • None of these sentences is correct. :)
    – Lambie
    Jun 3, 2017 at 18:20
  • Peter's or mine? I doubt all of them. But I learned that I should use parenthetical commas when I use "after all" and "after life."
    – Xyenz
    Jun 4, 2017 at 16:27
  • My own preference would be If what we do has no effect, then why are we still trying? or better still If what we are doing will make no difference, then why are we still trying?
    – WS2
    May 21, 2022 at 22:47

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