Inversion - Conditional sentences

Inversion of conditional sentences

Which conditional sentence is each 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.

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.

Second conditional

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 …)

SOURCE: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/c1-grammar/inversion-conditionals

QUIZ

Multiple Choice

Were you to come earlier, you ... Beyoncé.

• will meet

• would meet

• would have met

• meet

Multiple Choice

... free time, she’ll play tennis.

• Were she have

• Had she had

• Should she have

• Were she to have

Multiple Choice

... French, I would read a French book.

• Were I learned

• Had I learn

• Were I learn

• Were I to learn

Multiple Select

Should you require more information, ...

• Let me know

• You had told me

• You should have told me

• Would you have told me?

Multiple Select

Should you be tired at the end of the day, ...

• Let the trainer known

• Will you let the trainer know?

• Would you let the trainer know?

• All are correct

Multiple Choice

Were you to get lost in a desert island, ...

• What will you do?

• What would you have done

• What would you do?

Multiple Choice

Were the negotiations to fall through, ...

• It I’ll bring unforseen problems.

• It would bring unforeseen problems.

• It would have brought unforeseen problems

• It brings unforsee problems

Multiple Choice

Were they to break up, ...

• Will you fall out with any of them?

• Do you fall out with any of them

• Would you fall out with any of them?

• Would you have fallen out with any of them?

Multiple Choice

Had I not been there, ...

• It is a problem

• It was a problem

• It would have been a problem

Multiple Choice

Had it not rained, ...

• Let’s go for a walk

• We will go for a walk

• We would have gone for a walk

Multiple Choice

Had Neymar played that infamous game, ...

• Brazil would not have lost 7-1 to Germany

• Brazil would not lose 7-1 to Germany

• Brazil will not lose 7-1 to Germany

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the Blanks

Multiple Choice

... she not lied about the accident, she would not have been suspected of the culprit in the case.

• should

• were

• had

• if

Multiple Choice

... I a naughty student, I would not propose strengthening school discipline.

• should

• were

• had

• if

Multiple Choice

... she to handle everything well, then she wouldn’t come to us for help.

• were

• had

• were not

• if

Multiple Choice

... he listened to his instructor, he wouldn’t have lost his way in the forest.

• were

• should

• unless

• had

Multiple Choice

... Jenny accept the challenge this time, then she will have a chance to become a full-time Google employee.

• were

• had

• should

• if

Multiple Choice

... my friend not been able to speak in public, I wouldn’t have been a teacher for 10 years.

• should

• had

• were

• unless

Multiple Choice

... you be truly competent, then you don’t need to worry about your future work.

• had

• were

• should

• if

Multiple Choice

Had you told me that this was going to happen, I ... it.

• would never have believed

• don't believe

• don't believe

• can't believe

Multiple Choice

... you known he was a liar, would you have agreed to support him?

• If

• Since

• Had

• Did

Multiple Choice

... advised on what and how to prepare for the interview, he might have got the job.

• A. Had he been

• B. If he had

• C. Unless he had been

• D. Were he to be

Multiple Choice

... with my previous job, I would have won a higher promotion and I ... in this unfortunate position

• A. Unless I had stayed / am not

• B. If I stayed / would not be

• C. If had I stayed / will not be

• D. Had I stayed / would not have been

Multiple Choice

If he missed the bus, we’d have trouble.

• Were he missed the bus, we would've had trouble.

• Should he miss the bus, we'll have trouble

• Had he missed the bus, we would've had trouble.

• Were he to miss the bus, we'd have trouble.

Multiple Choice

... , you would have succeeded in your business.

• If you listened to my advice...

• Were you listen to my advice...

• Had you listened to my advice...

• As long as you listened to my advice...

Multiple Choice

If I learnt Belarusian, I would read a Belarusian book.

• I were learning to Belarusian, I could read a Belarusian book.

• Were I to learn Belarusian, I would read a Belarusian book.

• Were I learning to Belarusian, I would have read a Belarusian book.

• Had I learnt Belarusian, I would have read a Belarusian book.

Multiple Choice

If you change your mind, let us know

• Had you change your mind, let us know.

• Let us know you had change your mind

• Should you change your mind, let us know

• You have changed your mind, let us know.

Multiple Choice

...,I would not have to worry about spending money.

• Were I a millionaire,...

• Were I an millionaire,...

• Was I an millionaire,...

• Was I a millionairre,...

Multiple Choice

If it stopped raining, we could go out and go home. UWU

---> ... , we could go out and go home.

• was it stop raining,...

• Were it to stop raining,....

• Was it to stop raining,...

• were it stop raining,...

• When it stop raining,...

Multiple Choice

If we had had a camera, we might have taken some photos of the wedding.

-----> ...,we might have taken some photos of the wedding.

• Had we have a camera,...

• Have we had a camera,...

• Had we had a camera,...

• Have we have a camera,...