Inversion and conditionals

Do you know how to use inversion in conditional sentences? Enhance your knowledge with a lesson given below and the grammar explanation to guide you better.

Check out these examples to see how we create conditionals with inversion:

• Should you need further assistance, feel free to contact me.

• Were she to leave the company now, they would struggle to replace her.

• Had I known about the event earlier, I would have attended.

Grammar explanation - Inversion and conditionals

We use conditionals to describe the result of a condition. Typically, we use if to introduce the condition (e.g., If you’re hungry, ...) and the main clause to give the result (e.g., ... grab a snack).

Conditional sentences can also be formed without if by using inversion. Inversion means reversing the normal subject–verb word order in a sentence, making it sound more formal.

There are three types of conditionals that can be created using inversion: first, second, and third conditionals.

1. First conditional

We use the first conditional to talk about future situations that we believe are possible.

• You can reach me on my phone if you need any help.

• If the weather improves, we’ll go for a walk.

To invert first conditional sentences, we replace if with the auxiliary verb should and change the verb into the infinitive. This can make the situation seem a bit less certain and is often used for polite requests or offers.

• You can reach me on my phone should you need any help.

• Should the weather improve, we’ll go for a walk.

2. Second conditional

We use the second conditional to talk about situations that are unlikely or hypothetical.

• How would the company change if all employees worked remotely?

• If I won the lottery, I would travel the world.

To invert second conditional sentences, we replace if with were and change the verb form to to + infinitive.

• How would the company change were all employees to work remotely?

• Were I to win the lottery, I would travel the world.

If the second conditional sentence uses the verb be, we don’t need the infinitive for the inverted version. We simply replace the form of be with were and invert the subject and verb.

• If she were the CEO, things would run differently.

• Were she the CEO, things would run differently.

3. Third conditional

The third conditional is used to imagine how things could have been different in the past.

• If we had taken the earlier train, we would have arrived on time.

• She would have passed the exam if she had studied more.

To invert third conditional sentences, we remove if and invert the subject and the auxiliary verb had.

• Had we taken the earlier train, we would have arrived on time.

• She would have passed the exam had she studied more.

4. Negative inverted conditionals

To make negative inverted conditionals, we add not after the subject.

• Should you not agree with the terms, you may cancel at any time. (= If you don't agree ...)

• Were he not so talented, he wouldn't have been hired. (= If he wasn’t so talented ...)

• Had I not been busy, I would have helped with the project. (= If I hadn’t been busy ...)

Try another grammar lesson