3A Grammar Advanced conditional structures, Inversion in conditional forms

• I can use conditional forms to make hypotheses about the past, present and future.

Not just if: advanced conditionals in an interview

Sentences a–f from the recording in Exercise 1 use advanced conditional forms.

Can you find two sentences where the ‘if’ clause is less likely than with a normal conditional form?

Find two sentences which emphasise and focus on nouns by using the structure If+noun/pronoun+to be.

What is the difference in time reference between them?

Find two sentences where if has been replaced. How do these changes affect the meaning?

Look at the three underlined sentences in the text above and answer the questions.

Which word that usually appears in basic conditional sentences has been omitted?

What has happened to the word order of these sentences?

What has happened to the word not in the sentence that is negative?

Why has inversion been used in the sentences?

Then rewrite the sentences using basic conditional forms.

Other ways to say if

[1] Supposing you had to organise a feast, what sort of food would you serve?

Complete the table with the words and expressions from the box.

Honeyguides and hypotheticals

Scientists call this an example of mutualistic behaviour – animal and man interacting for a common outcome.

The four basic conditionals

Should: a more tentative First Conditional

• We can add should to First Conditional sentences to refer to a realistic but hypothetical situation in the future.
• If these trends continue, there may be major consequences for our health.
• If these trends should continue, there may be major consequences for our health. (more tentative/formal)
• It sounds a little more tentative/less certain and the effect is often more literary/formal.

Were to: a more tentative Second Conditional

• We can add were to to Second Conditional sentences to refer to an unreal, hypothetical situation in the present/future.
• If you consumed a lot of protein, you would gain weight.
• If you were to consume a lot of protein, you would gain weight. (more tentative/formal)
• Again, it sounds a little more tentative/less probable and the effect is often more literary/formal.

Drop the if, flip the order

We can use inversion with three types of conditionals.

• As with other examples of inversion, we tend to use it in rather formal, literary or dramatic contexts.
• With should: we replace if + subject + infinitive with should + subject + infinitive at the beginning of the clause.
• If these trends should continue, there may be major consequences for our health.
• Should these trends continue, there may be major consequences for our health.
• With were to: we replace if + subject + were to with were + subject + to + infinitive at the beginning of the clause.
• If you were to consume a lot of protein, you would gain weight.
• Were you to consume a lot of protein, you would gain weight.
• With had (Third Conditional): we replace if + subject + Past Perfect with had + subject + Past Participle at the beginning of the clause.
• If the manager had reacted faster, we might have avoided the economic crisis.
• Had the manager reacted faster, we might have avoided the economic crisis.

Inversion at work: ducks and rice

In the text below, three sentences are inverted: the ones starting Had, Were and Should.