INVERSION IN

CONDITIONAL
CLAUSES
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Often Confused — Conditional if vs. Routine if

CONDITIONAL — SINGLE OCCURRENCE

Conditional if is used for a single particular event or situation. If X happens,

then Y happens next. (if, unless)

- If Hurricane Ella comes our way, we will close and cover up our windows.
- If the authorities allow it, we can open our windows and go outside again.

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Often Confused — Conditional if vs. Routine if

TEMPORAL PREPOSITION — MULTIPLE OCCURRENCES

Routine if is used for multiple activities or situations. Anytime X happens, then

Y happens. (when, whenever, anytime)

- If / When / Whenever a big storm comes our way, we close the windows.
- Before a big storm comes our way, we close up and cover the
windows. After the storm passes, we open them.

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Aside from the typical type I, II, III structure, conditionals can be
divided into two categories: real and unreal conditionals.

Real condition

Conditional sentence type

If I have money, I spend it. Present Real Conditional – type I

If I had money, I spent it. Past Real Conditional – type I

If I have money, I will/am going

Future Real Conditional – type I
to spend it.

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 Definition of The Real conditionals
These conditionals describe habitual or factual conditions which have the
probability to happen in the future or generally happen in the present.

Place your screenshot

Examples of The Real conditionals: here

• If I have time, I will attend the program.

• If you come early, you will be able to meet Tom.
• If Jack comes here, he will fix the fan.
• If Aric drives in such a stormy weather, he may have an accident.
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• If you are going out in this rain, you must take an umbrella with
you.
• If I get time, I meet with my relatives.
• If you win the bet, Jeff will give you a treat in the most
expensive restaurant.
• If Alice comes here, she meets me. Place your screenshot
here

• If you work hard, you will be able to complete the project on

time.
• If Albert has leisure time, he goes to the library.
• If you go out in such heavy rain, you will get wet.
• Please attend the program if you have time.
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• Please come to my place if you are coming to this part of the
city.
• If you have the responsibility, perform it properly.
• If you say this to Rick, he will become angry.
• Please help Richard if you can. Place your screenshot
here

• I will call you if I get an update.

• If you come at the mentioned time, you will not miss the flight.
• If you are going to Alana’s place, please give this gift to her.
• If you are going to the bank, please collect your debit card.
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 Unreal condition

An unreal conditional sentence has an 'if' clause

that is a condition that is not real, is imaginary,
or is unlikely to occur.
For instance:
- If I win the lottery, I will build a mansion.
The condition in the 'if' clause (winning the
lottery) is unlikely to happen.

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 Unreal condition

Conditional sentence Explanation type

If I had had money, I would Past unreal Conditional
 
have spent it. – type III

I think about
If I had money, I would Present unreal
spending the
spend it. Conditional – type II
money TODAY.

I think about
If I had money, I would spending the Future unreal
spend it. money NEXT Conditional – type II
WEEK.

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 EXAMPLES OF UNREAL CONDITIONAL CLAUSES

• If I were in New York, I would meet you.

• If I were rich, I would buy a luxury apartment.
• Had you participated in the contest, you could have won
the first prize.
• Had John come to the office, he could have done the task.
• Had we reached on time, we could have met you.
• If Jack had come here, I could have given him this book.
• I could have helped you if you had asked me earlier.
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• If I were at the fair, I could have bought the book for you.
• Had Aric come on time, he would not miss the flight.
• Had I been there, I could have helped you.
• If Jeff had practiced harder, he could have sung better.
• If I had met you earlier, I could have told you the fact.
• If I were the President, I would work for the peace of the
world.
• If I had the money, I could have helped you.

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• Had I been to the art gallery yesterday, I could have seen
your painting.
• Had I been to the concert, I could have enjoyed your
performance.
• Had Alex a little bit sensible, he could have understood it.
• If Alice had come here, she could have talked to Jane.
• Had you not been spendthrift, you could have saved some
money for the rest of the month.
• If I had a little more space on my phone, I could have
downloaded the app. 13
 Real vs. Unreal Conditional (Modal Use)

Express whether something is an open or a remote

possibility

When Jack came home Friday evening from work, he

noticed his lawn was overgrown and needed some work.
Because he works Monday through Friday as an electrician,
his weekends are free to do as he pleases. This weekend, he
will spend some time with friends and do some yard work. 

He will mow the lawn if he has time. 

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When Ted came home Friday evening from work, he also
noticed that his lawn was overgrown and needed work.
Because he works six days a week as a healthcare worker,
he has almost no free time and is usually exhausted on
weekends. This weekend is his only opportunity to rest. 

He would mow the lawn if he had time. 

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 Modal verbs
Main clauses with real conditional tenses can have
modal verbs.

- If I have money, I can spend it.

You can use could and might instead of would in

unreal conditional clauses.

- If I had money, I could spend it. → (I would be able to

spend it.)
- If I had money, I might spend it. → (I would possibly
spend it.)
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 REAL VS UNREAL CONDITIONAL SENTENCES
OPEN / REAL – CONDITIONALS
A real conditional includes two parts: if → then.  One action must
happen before the other can happen. An open conditional is used
when the likelihood of something happening is in the real world, a
factual one.

A present tense verb in the condition phrase (If

he has time) expresses that the situation can happen. If it does, the
activity in the other clause will happen. A modal —will, can,
may, or should— is used in the main clause.

A past verb in the condition phrase and the main clause expresses

that there was an open possibility that the condition occurred. (The
speaker doesn't know for sure.) And if it did, the speaker infers that
the action in the main clause occurred.

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 IF-PHRASE   1ST ACTION
PRESENT CONDITION
If he has time today,
If he is feeling energetic,
The possibility is good.
MAIN CLAUSE   2ND ACTION
PRESENT / FUTURE 
Jack will¹ mow the grass.
Jack will clean up his
yard.
He doesn't know if he will
have time yet.
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 PAST CONDITION
If he had time yesterday,
If he was
feeling energetic,
There was a good
possibility.  I don't know if
he did; I wasn't there.
PAST
Jack mowed the grass.
Jack cleaned up his yard.
He did or didn't do it
depending on whether the
condition was true. We
are concluding or
inferring what happened.
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 REMOTE / UNREAL – CONDITIONALS
An unreal conditional has two parts: if → then. One action must
happen before the other can happen. A remote conditional is used
when the likelihood of something happening is in a distant, imaginary,
contrary-to-fact world.

A preterit² verb in the condition phrase (If he had time) and a modal

verb in the main clause [would + verb] expresses that the condition
has a poor chance of happening; therefore, the activity in the main
clause is unlikely to happen.

A past perfect verb in the condition clause (If he had had time) and

the past modal [would have + verb] expresses that the failed
condition was the reason or excuse for the situation in the main
clause not happening.         

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 IF-PHRASE   1ST ACTION MAIN CLAUSE   2ND ACTION

PRESENT CONDITION PRESENT / FUTURE 

If he had time, Ted would mow the grass.

If he felt rested, Ted would clean up his
yard.
The probability is poor.
(perhaps in another He isn't going to mow or
world) clean up the yard.

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 PAST CONDITION PAST

If he had had time, Ted would have

If he had felt rested, mowed the grass.
Ted would have cleaned
The probability was up the yard.
poor; the action or
situation did not happen. He didn't mow the grass
This is the reason / or clean up.
excuse for the action in
the main clause not
happening.

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¹ modals which can express future timing: will,
can, may, might, shall, should
² preterit – a verb form, which is often used to
express past timing, but may also express an
imaginary or hypothetical situation, contrary to
reality: 
 I wish I were there.
 If I had money, I would buy a plane ticket. 
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Inversion happens when we invert the
normal order of a sentence, mostly the form
of the subject-verb.
Inversion is used in conditional sentences to
make sentences more formal.

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 Form
 To make an inversion in conditional sentences we first omit the if.

 In real conditionals (when we talk about a present choice and its future
consequence), we make the inversion by using should at the beginning of the
sentence..

 The structure is: Should/had + clause 1 + comma (,) + clause 2

NOTE: We do not use the contracted forms of negative clauses in inversion.

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 Example

 Had I known about the draft beer, I would have bought it instantly.
 Had he helped me with the lamb leg , I wouldn’t have cut my hand.
 Should you want to be thin, you must eat food thatPlace
has low sugar and salt.
your screenshot
here

 Should you want excellent quality meat, you must buy only from this
shop.
 Were children not to digest what they eat, they usually would have
stomachache.

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 Use

We use inversion in conditional sentences
mainly in formal situations.

When we use should, the conditional sentence is a real

conditional, which means that we talk about a present
choice and its future consequence.
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 Summary

Inversion is used in conditional sentences to make sentences more formal. To

make an inversion in conditional sentences we first omit the if. When we
use should, the conditional sentence is a real conditional, which means that we
talk about a present choice and its future consequence.

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The structure is: we start with should or had
followed by the first clause, a comma (,) and the second clause.

For example:
— “Had I known about his behaviour earlier, I would have
punished him.” = we do not use I had known, but there is an
inversion;
— “Should you need more information, contact me.” = we do not
use we should need, but there is an inversion.

NOTE: We don’t use the contracted forms of negative clauses

in inversion.

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