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 PRACTICE ON POINTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

• Conditionals
• Cond Diagnostic
• Pres-Future Real
• Pres-Past Real
• Present Unreal
• Past Unreal
• Past Unreal 2
• Should/Could have
• Mixed Tenses
• Implied Conditions
• Wishes
• Wish Agreement
• If / Unless
• If / Whether
• Omitting If
• If / In case
• Related Pages

Omitting IF

Giving advice in hypothetical situations

 

 

 

 

 

Were / Had / Should

IF	CONDITIONAL VERB PHRASES
"If" can be omitted placing more emphasis on the verb.	Omit "if" and move the auxiliary verb in front of the subject.
If I were you, I wouldn't get involved.	Were I you, I wouldn't get involved.
If I had known, I would have said something.	Had I known, I would have said something.
If you should see him again, call me immediately.	Should you see him again, call me immediately.

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... 

 

 

Conditional Clause - Word Order Change

CONDITIONAL CLAUSE	WORD ORDER CHANGE	RESULTIVE CLAUSE
If I were you,	[If]  Were I   [were]  you,	I would have asked him to pay me back
If the police had come,	[If]  Had the police [had] come,	they would have stopped him.
If he comes back,	[If]  Should he  [should] come back,	call me.

 

 

 

Other Adverbs

IF	OTHER CONDITIONAL ADVERBS
If you need to reach me, call my cell phone.	In the event (that) you need to reach me, call my cell phone.
	In case you need to reach me, call my home.

Related page:  Adverbs of Probability

 

 

 

 

Practice

Giving Advice

 

 

1. Select an option from each menu to rephrase the sentence without "if".  
2. Then, click the check button to compare your response to the answer.

#	YOUR RESPONSE	CHECK ANSWER
1.	If you should need some more money, just ask me. -- Were you need some more money, Had you need some more money, Should you need some more money, just ask me.	just ask me.
2.	If I were your teacher, I would insist you try harder. -- I were your teacher Were I your teacher , I would insist you try harder.	, I would insist you try harder.
3.	If my boss calls, please let me know right away. -- Should my boss calls Should my boss call , please let me know right away.	please let me know right away.
4.	If I had thought of the right words, I would have told him what I was thinking! -- I had thought of the right words Had I thought of the right words , I would have told him what I was thinking!	I would have told him what I was thinking!
5.	If I were a millionaire, I would not have to worry about spending money. -- I were a millionaire Were I a millionaire , I would not have to worry about spending money.	I would not have to worry about spending money.
6.	If they run out of tickets, we will have to go to another movie. -- Were they run out of tickets Should they run out of tickets Had they run out of tickets , we will have to go to another movie.	we will have to go to another movie.
7.	If you change your mind, let me know. -- Do you change your mind Change you your mind Should you change your mind , let me know	let me know.
8.	If you had known my dad, you would have thought he was wonderful too. -- Have you know my dad Had you known my dad You have known my dad you would have thought he was wonderful too.	you would have thought he was wonderful too.
9.	If you had seen the bird dancing, you would have laughed too.  -- You had seen the bird dancing Had you see the bird dancing Had you seen the bird dancing dancing , you would have laughed too.	you would have laughed too.
10.	If I were a movie star, I could get any table in the fanciest restaurant. -- Were I a movie star Was I a movie star Am I a movie star I could get any table in the fanciest restaurant.	I could get any table in the fanciest restaurant.