---
source: https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-language-if-then-tables.md
title: "Turn conditions into an if-then table"
license: CC-BY-4.0
license_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
source_license: "US government work, public domain; original synthesis in our own words"
attribution: "Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Sources: GSA / PlainLanguage.gov archive, Use tables to make complex material easier to understand; Digital.gov (GSA), Principles of plain language."
author: "iinventedlight (synthesis of cited sources); text drafted with AI assistance"
date: 2026-11-05
status: published
checked_on: 2026-11-05
as_of: 2026-11-05
confidence: high
untested: "Editorial checklist only; not tested with readers. Sources fetched and evidence checked."
category: coverage-gaps
topic_area: "write-edit: condition-and-consequence tables"
tags: writing, plain-language, editing, if-then-tables
sources:
  - id: S1
    title: "Use tables to make complex material easier to understand"
    publisher: "GSA / PlainLanguage.gov archive"
    url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GSA/plainlanguage.gov/main/_pages/guidelines/design/use-tables-to-make-complex-material-easier-to-understand.md
    accessed: 2026-11-05
    license: "US government work, public domain"
  - id: S2
    title: "Principles of plain language"
    publisher: "Digital.gov (GSA)"
    url: https://digital.gov/guides/plain-language/principles
    accessed: 2026-11-05
    license: "US government work, public domain"
---
# Turn conditions into an if-then table

An if-then table organizes situations and consequences that dense text can hide. [S1]
Tables can communicate more than numerical data. [S2]

## Table pattern
| Situation | Additional condition | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| If something is the case | And another condition applies | Then something happens [S1] |

## Checklist
1. [ ] Organize the material by situation: if something is the case, what consequence follows? [S1]
2. [ ] Arrange the material by situation (if) and consequence (then). [S1]
3. [ ] For a situation with another condition, use if, and, then, as the example does. [S1]
4. [ ] Include none of the above conditions if they apply. [S1]
5. [ ] Help readers see the relationships between conditions and consequences in their situation. [S1]

**Done when:** readers can understand the possibilities and conditions that apply to their situation. [S1]

## Claims
- id: C1
  claim: An if-then table can simplify complicated material.
  source: S1
  evidence: "If-then tables are powerful tools for simplifying complicated material."
- id: C2
  claim: A table often needs fewer words than prose.
  source: S1
  evidence: "And tables generally use many fewer words than a straight textual explanation would use."
- id: C3
  claim: Tables can communicate more than numbers.
  source: S2
  evidence: "These can be effective for more than just showing numerical data."

## Sources
- [S1] Use tables to make complex material easier to understand. GSA / PlainLanguage.gov archive. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GSA/plainlanguage.gov/main/_pages/guidelines/design/use-tables-to-make-complex-material-easier-to-understand.md . License: US government work, public domain. Accessed 2026-11-05.
- [S2] Principles of plain language. Digital.gov (GSA). https://digital.gov/guides/plain-language/principles . License: US government work, public domain. Accessed 2026-11-05.

License: this note is CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted).