Page 209 - Advanced English Grammar in Use

C o n d i t i o n a l s e n t e n c e s ( 2 )

In unreal conditionals we use if...were + to-infinitive to talk about imaginary future situations:
• If the technology were to become available, we would be able to expand the business.
• If he were to have a chance of success, he would need to move to London.
However, notice that we can't use this pattern with many verbs that describe a state, including
know, like, remember, understand:
• If I knew they were honest, I'd gladly lend them the money, (not If I were to know...)
We sometimes use this pattern to make a suggestion sound more polite:
• If you were to move over, we could all sit on the sofa.
D If the first verb in a conditional if-clause is should, were, or had (see Unit 99) we can leave out if
and put the verb at the start of the clause. We do this particularly in formal or literary English
(see also Unit 119):
• Should any of this cost you anything, send me the bill. (= If any of this should cost...)
• It would be embarrassing, were she to find out the truth. (= ...if she were to find out...)
• Had they not rushed Dan to hospital, he would have died. (= If they hadn't rushed Dan...)

We use if it was/were not for + noun to say that one situation is dependent on another situation
or on a person. When we talk about the past we use If it had not been for + noun:
• If it wasn't/weren't for Vivian, the conference wouldn't be going ahead.
• If it hadn't been for my parents, I would never have gone to university.
In formal and literary language we can also use Were it not for... and Had it not been for...:
• Were it not for Vivian... • Had it not been for my parents...
We often use but for + noun with a similar meaning:
• But for Jim's support, I wouldn't have got the job. (= If it hadn't been for Jim...)

We don't usually use if...will in conditional sentences (see Unit 99). However, we can use if...will
when we talk about a result of something in the main clause. Compare:
• Open a window if it will help you to sleep. or ...if it helps you to sleep.
('Helping you to sleep' is the result of opening the window.)
• I will be angry if it turns out that you are wrong. not '...if it will turn out...'
('Turning out that you are wrong' is not the result of being angry.)

I We also use if...will in requests:
•
If you will take your seats, ladies and gentlemen, we can begin the meeting.
If you want to make a request more polite, you can use if...would:
• If you would take your seats, ladies and gentlemen...

In a real conditional sentence, we use if...happen to, if...should, or if...should happen to to talk
about something which may be possible, but is not very likely. If...happen to is most common in
spoken English:
• If you happen to be in our area, drop in and see us. (or If you should (happen to) be...)
Notice that we don't usually use this pattern in unreal conditionals which talk about impossible
states or events in the if-clause:
• If the North Sea froze in winter, you could walk from London to Oslo, [not If the North Sea
happened to freeze / should (happen to) freeze in winter...)

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