If clauses

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If clauses are usually used to talk about uncertain events and situations. They often refer to a condition - something which must happen first, so that something else can happen.

• If you love me, I will love you.
  
• If you study well, you will pass the exam.
  
• If you marry me, I will make you my queen.
  
• If you don't hurry up, you will be late.
  

Clauses of this kind are often called conditional clauses. There are four main types of conditional clauses in English. They are:

• Zero conditional
  
• Type 1 conditional
  
• Type 2 conditional
  
• Type 3 conditional
  

Position of an if clause

An if-clause can come at the beginning or end of a sentence. When an if-clause begins a sentence, we use a comma to separate it from the rest of the sentence.

Compare:

• I will phone you if I have time.
  
• If I have time, I will phone you.
  

Leaving out If

In a formal or literary style if can be dropped and an auxiliary verb put before the subject. This is common with had, should and were.

• Were I you I would accept the offer. (= If I were you I would accept the offer.)
  
• Had he not received her help he wouldn't have become a millionaire. (= If he had not received...)
  

Sections in this article

Transformation of sentences - I
Transformation of sentences - II
Transformation of a Simple sentence into a compound sentence
Transformation of a compound sentence into a simple sentence
Transformation of a simple sentence into a complex sentence
Transformation of a complex sentence into a simple sentence
Transformation of sentences containing too
Interchange of degrees of comparison
Combining two sentences using too...to and so...that
How to combine two sentences using too...to

See Also

Exclamations
Exclamations exercise
Exclamations: common errors
Common mistakes with pronouns - Part 2
Common errors with adjectives - part 1
Common errors with adjectives - part 2