"Were to"

"Were to" in the Present

FORM
[ If... were to + VERB ...,...]

USE
"Were to" can be used in the present to emphasize that the Conditional form is
extremely unlikely or unthinkably horrible. Notice that this special form is only used in
the "If" Clause.

EXAMPLES:
If she were to be rich, she would be horribly obnoxious.
If I were to have no friends, who would I spend my time with.
If Nathan were to be my boss, this job would be intolerable.

"Were to" in the Future

FORM
[ If... were to + VERB...,...]

USE
"Were to" can be used in the future to emphasize that the Conditional form is
extremely unlikely or unthinkably horrible. Notice that this special form is only used in
the "If" Clause
EXAMPLES:
If I were to lose my job, I would probably not find a new one quickly.
If he were to fail his driving test, he would have to take it again.
If Sarah were to show up late to the birthday party, it would ruin the surprise.

 
"Were to" in the Past
FORM
[ If... were to have + PAST PARTICIPLE...,...]

USE
"Were to" can be used in the past to emphasize that the Conditional form is
extremely unlikely or unthinkably horrible. Notice that this special form is only used in
the "If" Clause.
EXAMPLES:
If the fire were to have destroyed the building, it would have been a tragic cultural
loss.
(The thought of such a loss is too horrible to consider.)
If the dam were to have burst, the entire town would have been destroyed.
(Such destruction is too horrible to consider.)
If Sarah were to have failed the final test, she would have lost her scholarship.
(She is an excellent student, and it is very unlikely that she would have failed the test.)