Conditional sentences and inversion
In formal English, conditional sentences can be formed by inversion of the subject and the auxiliary verb. In such sentences,
For example, these two sentences are (almost) the same:
| = | ||
| If I were taller, I would be happier. | Were I taller, I would be happier. |
We can use inversion in unreal present as well as unreal past.
Unreal present
- Were I you, I would visit my grandfather.
Unreal past
- Had I known this fact before, I wouldn't have come here.
- Had Jake been informed about the meeting, he would have participated.