Don't go there if you can avoid it

[navi tasan]

1) Don't go there if you can.

2) Don't go there if you can avoid it.

Can #1 be used instead of #2?

It seems to me that #1 can only mean:

3) Don't go there if you can go there.
(which is a strange thing to say).

 

[emsr2d2]

1 and 3 don't work. If you add a word, they would be OK. That word is "even".

Don't go there even if you can [go there].

I'd use 2 or "Don't go there if you can help it" or "Don't go there unless you absolutely have to".

 

[jutfrank]

It seems to me that #1 can only mean:

3) Don't go there if you can go there.
(which is a strange thing to say).

Right. #1 has ellipsis of the verb phrase 'go there'.

It's not just strange, it's illogical in that it implies a contradiction, since the conditional phrase if you can is so strongly associated with encouraging people to do something, not not to do something, which the imperative part is doing.