Look at these examples to see how we can create conditionals with inversion.
Should you have any questions, I will be happy to help.
Were they to sell their house today, they would make a huge profit on it.
I would've taken you out for lunch had I known you were in town.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
- Grammar test 1
Read the explanation to learn more.
Grammar explanation
We use conditionals to describe the result of a condition. Often, we use if to introduce the condition (e.g. If you feel hot, …) and the main clause to give the result (... feel free to switch on the aircon).
Conditional sentences can also be created without if, using inversion. Inversion means reversing (inverting) the normal subject–verb word order in a sentence. This makes the sentence more formal.
Three types of conditionals can be formed using inversion: first, second and third conditionals.
First conditional
We use the first conditional to talk about future situations we believe are possible.
Marker pens are in the cupboard if you ever need one.
If a customer wishes to cancel their booking, they should notify us within seven days.
To invert first conditional sentences, we replace if with the auxiliary verb should and change the verb into the infinitive. This makes the situation seem a little less likely. It is often used to make a polite request or offer.
Marker pens are in the cupboard should you ever need one.
Should a customer wish to cancel their booking, they should notify us within seven days.
Second conditional
We use the second conditional to talk about situations that we consider unlikely or impossible in reality.
How would the environment be affected if everyone reduced their meat consumption?
If the Sun disappeared, Earth would no longer be able to support life.
To invert second conditional sentences, we replace if with were and change the verb form to to + infinitive.
How would the environment be affected were everyone to reduce their meat consumption?
Were the Sun to disappear, Earth would no longer be able to support life.
Note that if a second conditional sentence uses the verb be, we don't need the infinitive for the inverted version. We just replace the existing form of be with were, and invert the subject and verb.
If California were a country, it would be one of the world's largest economies.
Were California a country, it would be one of the world's largest economies.
Third conditional
The third conditional is used to imagine a change in a past situation and how things would have been different in the past as a result.
If we had lost that match, it would've been a disaster.
We would have fixed that problem by now if we'd known about it earlier.
To invert third conditional sentences, we remove if and invert the subject and the auxiliary verb had.
Had we lost that match, it would've been a disaster.
We would have fixed that problem by now had we known about it earlier.
Negative inverted conditionals
To make negative inverted conditionals, we put not after the subject.
Should you not consent to sharing this information, you may inform our company at any time. (= If you don't consent …)
Were I not good at maths, I'd find this homework very challenging. (= If I wasn't good at maths …)
Had I not been busy this morning, I would have attended the meeting. (= If I hadn't been busy …)
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
- Grammar test 2
Could anyone explain why to use "for" in these conditional sentences: "Were it not for school being compulsory,..." and "Had it not been for the gorgeous weather,…"? Thank you.
Hello LizaEva,
We use 'for' in this way in conditional sentences:
Your examples are conditional sentences using inversion. As to why we have this form, I don't know what the origin is. I can tell you another form of it using 'but', however, which you can come across in more formal contexts:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
hello, I have a few questions
"Until then, it had been banned, AS HAD all forms of advertising."
1, What is 'as had'? is this a form of inversion? (my teacher said it is)
2, what's its meaning?
3, does it have a particular structure or does the word 'as' just go with 'had'?
4, do you know when and how to use this?
Hello 343463,
'As' here shows a similarity or parallel.
It is a form of inversion. Seeing the sentence without inversion should help to clarity the construction:
The second clause uses a past perfect form and the auxiliary verb 'had' appears as part of that construction. The auxiliary is used to form the inverted form and the rest of the past perfect verb phrase is omitted to avoid repetition. If the sentence were in the past simple of present simple then a different auxiliary would be used:
I think that covers all of your questions. It's not a form particularly associated with 'had' but rather an inverted verb form. Note that the subject must be the same in both clauses. If the subject in the first clause changes then the second clause will follow:
Until then, we ban it, as do all responsible governments.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Dear team, I have a few questions below. Thank you very much!
It was incredible! Never had|have I seen such an exciting tennis match.
No sooner had the tickets gone on sale than they sold out.
Test 2) Never again did|could|will I trust him after he told them my secret.
Test 2) Never will|did I forget the kindness they treated us with.
Hello Yan,
Re: 1, 'have I seen' could be used to speak about a recent tennis match, or the present perfect could be used to speak about your whole life experience. Usually the context will make this clear. 'had I seen' would only make sense in a specific context where there is another past reference point. For example, if you were speaking about a summer you lived in Wimbledon and were able to attend a particularly memorable match there.
Re: 2, yes, that's correct. The tickets went on sale and sold out very quickly.
Re: 3, this sentence isn't really about the present. It's either about the past or the future.
Re: 4, 'do' is not correct. 'would' is possible, but would be somewhat unusual because it would refer to a habitual or repeated action in the past. We don't generally conceive of the action of never forgetting something in this way, but it is possible.
Hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team
I am amazed by the mistakes he makes.
->What amazes me is the mistakes he makes.
shouldn't this be 'what amazed me is the mistakes he makes'? or is there another grammar structure I haven't heard about?
Hello 343463,
Both past and present tenses are possible. If you use the past (What amazed...) then you are talking about your feelings at the time (then/in the past). If you use the present (What amazes...) then you are saying that it still amazes you now - your feeling has not changed.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Grammatically, "What amazes me..." is Present Simple because of the verb in the original sentence: "I am amazed". If it was Past Simple: "I was amazed..." then the equivalent would be "What amazed me...".
I'd take a box of matches in case we .................................. to make fire.
-wanted -would want
Since the structure of type 2 conditional is past simple+ would+ infinitive so I think the answer is would want, but it is wanted. Why is it wanted but not would want?