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.
Comments
iS IT CORRECT THE SENTENCE "NEVER COULD HE READ, BUT SO COULD HIS BROTHER"?.
The first part "Never could he read" is okay, but the correct way of ending it is "but neither could his brother" or "but nor could his brother" if you mean that his brother was not able to read too. if his brother COULD read, you would finish it with "but his brother could."
You could say "He could read, and so could his brother." though!
I guess:
by interrogative sentence or questioning, you have to say......COULD HE NEVER READ, NOR HIS BROTHER?....
by declarative sentence or simply telling somebody, you have to say ..... HE COULD NEVER READ, NOR HIS BROTHER.
meaning the two of them can not read.
can the subordinate if-clause eg. in ''should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me'' like normal conditional sentence that can both precede the matrix clause and follow the matrix clause?
that is-->please fell free to contact me should you have any questions.
hurry~reply me not until 7/5 11:00am please!
thanks
Yes, that is correct.
I think you meant, "reply no later than 7/5" or "reply before 7/5." This response would be too early, should that assumption be wrong. But it sounds like you would be in quite a pickle had no one responded in time! :)
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