If it stops raining, I can play basketball ...

[MichaelLu2000]

I heard this dialogue between two native English speakers. What does B mean here by the sentence in bold?

A: What are you going to do after the exam?

B: The forecast says the weather will get better soon. If it stops raining, I can play basketball in the park on Friday night.

 

[teechar]

I heard this dialogue between two native English speakers.

Where?

What does B mean here by the sentence in bold?

It seems clear enough to me. Which part of it do you not understand?

 

[MichaelLu2000]

Where?

It seems clear enough to me. Which part of it do you not understand?

Is B referring to an available option that he has the freedom to choose to do if the weather becomes better?

 

[emsr2d2]

I wouldn't call it "freedom to choose". I'd say that he's saying that if it stops raining (and doesn't start again) before Friday evening, he will be able to play basketball in the park that evening. He clearly doesn't want to play when it's raining.

 

[jutfrank]

I heard this dialogue between two native English speakers.

Really? It's quite a coincidence then that it sounds almost identical to the last dozen self-created sentences you've asked about, all of which use 'can' in the result clause of a first conditional.

What does B mean here by the sentence in bold?

If it really was an authentic sentence that you heard, how can you not know what it means?