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How is "if only" treated in the context of sufficient and necessary condition indicators? For example,

Now, if only we could get the online TV, we'd be a truly high tech nation.

My understanding is that "if only" signifies sufficient condition since the sentence could be rewritten as

Now, if only we could get the online TV then we'd be a truly high tech nation.

Any thoughts?

You're correct. You drop the only. So it's pretty much "if", so whatever follows it the sufficient condition. This doesn't apply to "only if" of course. And remember "if and only if" is inclusive so if "J goes if and only if H goes" means H & J go together no matter.

pattymac wrote:You're correct. You drop the only. So it's pretty much "if", so whatever follows it the sufficient condition. This doesn't apply to "only if" of course. And remember "if and only if" is inclusive so if "J goes if and only if H goes" means H & J go together no matter.

I think this is correct.

If only we could get the online TV, we'd be a truly high tech nation.

Online TV = O
Truly High Tech Nation = HT

O -- > HT

Regarding "if and only if", I'd clarify that H & J would either both go, or neither would go. But yes, they stay together in either instance.

if only=if

It's 100% correct. "If only" is equivalent to "if" vastly different from "only if."

Thank you, Pattymac , existenz and borntokill.