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 PRACTICE ON POINTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

• Conditionals
• Cond Diagnostic
• Pres-Future Real
• Pres-Past Real
• Present Unreal
• Past Unreal
• Past Unreal 2
• Should/Could have
• Mixed Tenses
• Implied Conditions
• Wishes
• Wish Agreement
• If / Unless
• If / Whether
• Omitting If
• If / In case
• Related Pages

• On this page:
• Were/ Had/ Should
• Word Order Inversion
• If / Incase
• Practice

Omitting IF

Giving advice in hypothetical situations

 

 

 

 

Were / Had / Should

IF CLAUSES	CONDITIONAL VERB CLAUSES
If is commonly used to introduce a conditional clause. However, if can be omitted from a conditional clause to shorten the sentence and place more emphasis on the result clause.	Were, had and should may be used without if by moving the auxiliary verb in front of the subject. (Should is also used to mean in case.)
If I were you, I wouldn't get involved.	Were I you, I wouldn't get involved.
If I had known, I would have said something.	Had I known, I would have said something.
If you should see him again, walk the other way!	Should you see him again, walk the other way!

was / were –  We often use were instead of was after if.  Both was and were are used in formal English, but only was is used in informal English.  If I were you... 

 

 

Conditional Clause - Word Order Inversion

CONDITIONAL CLAUSE	RESULT CLAUSE
In a conditional clause, use normal subject verb word order after if.	In a conditional clause using were, had or should, move the auxiliary verb or be (main) verb before the subject. Omit if.
IF + SUBJ + VERB If I were you, I would have asked him to pay me back.	AUX + SUBJ + VERB BASE [If]  Were I   [were]  you, I would have asked him to pay me back.
If the police had come, they would have stopped him.	[If]  Had the police [had] come, they would have stopped him.
If he comes back, call me.	[If]  Should he  [should] come back, call me.

 

 

If vs. In case

IF	IN CASE
An if clausediffers in meaning from an in case clause. An if clause is something we do only if the action in the other clause occurs (not before).	An in case clause is an action we take before something might occur. An in case clause indicates a precaution.
If you need to reach me, call my cell phone.  (Do this after X happens.)	In the event (that) you need to reach me, write down my phone number.  (Do this before X happens.)
*In case you need to reach me, call my mobile phone.  (Do this for the duration.)	In case you need to reach me (later), take your phone with you now.  (Do this before X happens.)

*Yellow highlighting indicates example of incorrect usage.

See  If / In case       

 

 

 

 

Practice

Giving Advice

 

 

1. Select an option from each menu to rephrase the sentence without the conjunction if.  
2. Then click the check button to compare your response to the answer.

#	YOUR RESPONSE	CHECK ANSWER
1.	If you should need some more money, take an extra twenty. -- Were you need some more money, Had you need some more money, Should you need some more money, take an extra twenty.
2.	If I were your teacher, I would insist you try harder. -- I were your teacher Were I your teacher , I would insist you try harder.
3.	If my boss calls, please let me know right away. -- Should my boss calls Should my boss call , please let me know right away.
4.	If I had thought of the right words, I would have told him what I was thinking! -- I had thought of the right words Had I thought of the right words , I would have told him what I was thinking!
5.	If I were a millionaire, I would not have to worry about spending money. -- I were a millionaire Were I a millionaire , I would not have to worry about spending money.
6.	If they run out of tickets, we will have to go to another movie. -- Were they run out of tickets Should they run out of tickets Had they run out of tickets , we will have to go to another movie.
7.	If you change your mind, let me know. -- Do you change your mind Change you your mind Should you change your mind , let me know
8.	If you had known my dad, you would have thought he was wonderful too. -- Have you know my dad Had you known my dad You have known my dad you would have thought he was wonderful too.
9.	If you had seen the bird dancing, you would have laughed too.  -- You had seen the bird dancing Had you see the bird dancing Had you seen the bird dancing dancing , you would have laughed too.
10.	If I were a movie star, I could get any table in the fanciest restaurant. -- Were I a movie star Was I a movie star Am I a movie star I could get any table in the fanciest restaurant.