Grammar-Quizzes › Connectors › Connective Prepositions › Conditional › Omitting "if"
Omitting "if"
Offer advice on hypothetical situations
If vs. Were / Had / Should
| IF | |
|---|---|
The clause following If expresses a condition for the activity in the main clause. This wording expresses suggestion, advice, or regret. The if-clause is an indirect way of giving advice— it softens the impact. |
|
| CONDITION | MAIN CLAUSE |
If I were you, |
I wouldn't get involved. (suggestion / advice) |
If I had known, |
I would have said something. (regret) |
If you should see him again, |
walk the other way! (suggestion / advice) |
| WITHOUT IF | |
|---|---|
If can be omitted to place more emphasis on the main clause. Were, had and should are used. The auxiliary verb is moved in front of the subject. (Note should expresses precaution rather than condition. See In Case.) |
|
| CONDITION | MAIN CLAUSE |
Were I you, |
I wouldn't get involved. |
Had I known, |
I would have said something. |
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...
See Connective Prepositional Phrases regarding the conditional structure being a prepositional phrase with if as the head preposition and a clause as its complement. Also see the structures that can complement (follow) a preposition Prepositional Complements.
Word Order Change
Placing emphasis on the advice
Subject–Verb Inversion
| SUBJECT–VERB | |
|---|---|
In the usual conditional structure, if is followed by a clause with normal subject – predicate word order. |
|
| IF PHRASE | MAIN CLAUSE |
If I were you, |
I would have asked him to pay me back. |
If the police had come, |
they would have stopped him. |
If he comes back, |
call me. |
| AUX–SUBJECT–VERB | |
|---|---|
When omitting if in a conditional structure, the auxiliaries were, had or should are placed before the subject in the main clause. |
|
| SHORTENED PHRASE | MAIN CLAUSE |
Were I [were] you, |
I would have asked him to pay me back. |
Had the police [had] come, |
they would have stopped him. |
Should he [should] return, |
call me. |
If / In case
Advice vs. Precaution
If vs. In case
| IF | |
|---|---|
Do this action after X happens or might happen — this is an emergency action. The meaning expressed below is advice. The condition is for a singular event, "for this situation". |
|
| CONDITION | MAIN CLAUSE |
If you need to reach me, |
call my mobile phone. (Do this after X happens.) |
*In case you need to reach me, |
call my mobile phone. (Do this for the duration.) |
| IN CASE | |
|---|---|
Do this action before X happens or might happen — this is an emergency preparation. The meaning expressed below is precautionary advice. The meaning is time-related, "for any such situation". |
|
| PRECAUTION | MAIN CLAUSE |
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 (later), |
take your phone with you now. (Do this before X happens.) |
*Unclear meaning.
See If vs In case page.
Practice
Giving Advice
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