虚拟条件句的从句部分如果含有were, should, 或had, 可将if省略,再把were, should或had 移到从句句首,实行倒装。
Were they here now, they could help us.
=If they were here now, they could help us.
Had you come earlier, you would have met him
=If you had come earlier, you would have met him.
Should it rain, the crops would be saved.
=Were it to rain, the crops would be saved.
注意:
在虚拟语气的从句中,动词‘be’的过去时态一律用“were”,不用was, 即在从句中be用were代替。
If I were you, I would go to look for him.
如果我是你,就会去找他。
If he were here, everything would be all right.
如果他在这儿,一切都会好的。
典型例题
_____ to do the work, I should do it some other day.
A. If were I
B. I were
C. Were I
D. Was I
答案C. 在虚拟条件状语中如果有were, should, had这三个词,通常将if省略,主语提前, 变成 were, should, had +主语的形式。但要注意,在虚拟条件状语从句中,省略连词的倒装形式的句首不能用动词的缩略形式。如我们可说 Were I not to do., 而不能说 Weren‘t I to do.