INVERSION
IN CONDITIONAL SENTENCES
SHOULD - FIRST CONDITIONAL (we replace ‘if’ with ‘should’)
INVERTED STRUCTURE
NORMAL STRUCTURE NO CONTRACTION : ✗ shouldn’t you ✓ should you not
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WERE - SECOND CONDITIONAL
Verb Be : delete ‘if’ and Invert the subject and the auxiliary ‘were’. (‘if I were’ → ‘were I’)
Other verbs: replace ‘if’ with were and change the verb form to to + infinitive. (‘if I did’ → ‘were I to do’)
NORMAL STRUCTURE INVERTED STRUCTURE
NO CONTRACTION : ✗ weren’t I to ✓ were I not to
If I were you, I would take that opportunity Were I you, I would take that opportunity
without hesitation. without hesitation.
If she accepted the job offer, Were she to accept the job offer, it would be a
it would be a great opportunity for her career. great opportunity for her career.
If it weren’t for his support, I wouldn't have Were it not for his support, I wouldn't have
been able to achieve this success. been able to achieve this success.
HAD - THIRD CONDITIONAL
Delete ‘if’ and Invert the subject and the auxiliary. (‘if I had’ → ‘had I’)
NORMAL STRUCTURE INVERTED STRUCTURE
NO CONTRACTION : ✗ hadn’t you ✓ had you not
If I had known earlier, I would have made Had I known earlier, I would have made
different plans. different plans.
If you hadn’t been late, we would have caught Had you not been late, we would have caught
the train. the train.
If it had not rained, we would have had a Had it not rained, we would have had a picnic
picnic in the park. in the park.