Hi there,

 

Would anyone help me understand the meaning of this sentence? "Were you to speak to him, he would listen." First I thought it was just inversion, but then notice the structure "be to" added. Does it convey the same idea as when using "should" or "happen to" in conditional number one? That is to say, that something is very unlike to happen? In this case, however, that something is very imaginary? Could you help me out?

 

Thanks in advance. 

You�re correct, there is inversion (of subject-operator here), which is sometimes used instead of the subordinator if to make an unreal condition. It has the same meaning as If you were to speak to him, he would listen. In this particular case, it doesn�t necessarily mean that something is very unlikely � it can be framed here as a request � but it�s not a common construction.

 

And yes, we can have the same type of inversion with should: should it rain, there�s a comfortable hostelry just across the road (if it should rain...).

 

It also works with had (had I known... = if I had known...).

 

Alex 

Pedro, I happened to do this in class last week.

 

These are the explanations and exercises I gave my students: 

 

 

 

Inversion replacing “if” in conditional sentences

You can use inversion to replace if in conditional sentences that include should, were or had:

 

 

Should you need any help with your bags, please let me know.

Were you to stop messing around with your mobile phone, you might learn a bit more.

Had you not tried to do three things at once, this would never have happened.

 

With “had”

1. If she had not helped me I would have been in bad trouble.

2. If it had not rained yesterday, we would have had the party in the garden.

3. If you hadn’t been so stupid as to reject that job offer, you would not have these worries now.

With “should” (it has no meaning of obligation!)

5. If you do not wish to join them, you must let them know soon.

6. If you decide to sell the house, I will be happy to buy it.

With “were” (to talk about imaginary future situations)

7. If we were to have kids, we would need a bigger house.

8. If he was not so lazy, he would have passed his exams.

9. If she was older, we would let her go on the trip.