Conditionals

20 words

1. 1

   Only after + clause, did + subject + Vgrammar

   Emphasises that an action happened only following the completion of another; fronting 'Only after' triggers inversion.

   “Only after the committee met did they announce the new policy.”

2. 2

   Only when + clause, did + subject + Vgrammar

   Emphasises that something happened only after another event; when fronted, 'only when' triggers inversion of auxiliary and subject.

   “Only when the data were published did the debate begin in earnest.”

3. 3

   Without + noun, clausegrammar

   Says what would happen if something did not exist or was not available.

   “Without government funding, many research projects would stop.”

4. 4

   If + past participle, clausegrammar

   A reduced passive conditional where the subject and auxiliary are omitted; used for concise, formal conditional sentences.

   “If invited, she will attend the conference.”

5. 5

   If + present simple, would + Vgrammar

   A common incorrect pattern where the present simple appears in the if-clause while 'would' is used in the result clause; for unreal present conditions use past simple in the if-clause.

   “Incorrect: If he goes to university, he would get a better job. (COMMON MISTAKE)”

6. 6

   Given that + clause, clausegrammar

   Introduce a fact or premise that supports the following comment or conclusion.

   “Given that urban populations are growing, planners must rethink transport.”

7. 7

   So long as + present simple, clausegrammar

   Used to say that something will happen or be true provided that another thing happens or is true.

   “So long as students attend classes regularly, their grades usually improve.”

8. 8

   Whether or not + clause, clausesubordinating conjunction

   Used to say that something is true or will happen regardless of whether a condition is true or not.

   “Whether or not the policy is popular, the government must decide based on evidence.”

9. 9

   If + subject + happen(ed) + to + V, clausegrammar

   Used to talk about something happening by chance or to introduce a hypothetical unlikely event.

   “If you happen to meet the director, please give him my regards.”

10. 10

    Were it not for + noun, clauseconditional (inversion)

    A formal inverted conditional meaning 'if it were not for (something)'. Used to say that something does not happen/exist because of that thing.

    “Were it not for her advice, I would have made a terrible decision.”

11. 11

    Whether + to + Vinfinitive choice

    Used to express a choice about doing something (e.g., 'I can't decide whether to accept the offer').

    “I couldn't decide whether to study abroad or stay at home.”

12. 12

    As if/as though + past simple, clausecomparative/subjunctive

    Used to describe something that appears true but is not; a present unreal comparison (e.g., 'He acts as if he knew everything').

    “She speaks as if she owned the company.”

13. 13

    Even if + past simple, would + Vgrammar

    Use this to emphasize that even if a hypothetical or unreal situation were true, the result would still be the same.

    “Even if the company offered higher salaries, employees would not stay if the management were toxic.”

14. 14

    As if/as though + past perfect, clausecomparative/subjunctive (past unreal)

    Used to describe a situation that appears to have happened but did not — a past unreal comparison (e.g., 'He looked as if he had seen a ghost').

    “She looked as if she had seen a ghost.”

15. 15

    Were + subject + to + V, clausegrammar

    A formal inversion used instead of 'If + subject were to + V' to talk about hypothetical or unlikely future events.

    “Were the government to increase taxes, public services might suffer.”

16. 16

    On the assumption that + clause, clauseprepositional phrase / subordinating

    Used to state that something is being assumed as true for the purposes of argument or analysis.

    “On the assumption that demand will rise, the company is increasing production.”

17. 17

    If + past simple, would + be + V-inggrammar

    Use this to describe a present hypothetical continuing action or situation that would be happening if the condition were true.

    “If I lived closer to the university, I would be studying there now.”

18. 18

    If + past perfect, must + have + past participlegrammar

    Use this to indicate that if a past condition were true, we can make a strong deduction (must have + V3) about what happened in the past.

    “If he had failed to report the error, he must have been under a lot of pressure.”

19. 19

    If + present perfect, may + have + past participlegrammar

    Use this to say that if something has happened, we are making a deduction about what may have occurred in the past.

    “If the team have submitted the report, they may have missed some important data.”

20. 20

    Should + subject + have + past participle, clausegrammar

    A formal inversion used to indicate that if something had happened (or were to have happened), then a particular consequence would follow; often used in formal writing/speech.

    “Should you have any queries, please contact the admissions office.”