Let's see what's already there before we add anything new — don't worry about getting it perfect.
Complete what you already know:
"If I known you were coming, I'd have cooked something nicer."
Say one sentence out loud about something you wish had gone differently recently. Start with "If I had known..." or "If I hadn't...".
Friend A: Did you get that email from the letting agency?
Friend B: Yeah — it said, "Should you have any concerns about the property, please contact us within 48 hours." So formal!
Friend A: Ha — that's just a fancy way of saying "if you're worried about anything, tell us."
Why do you think formal emails and contracts phrase things like "Should you have any concerns..." instead of the everyday "If you're worried..."? Say your own idea before you check.
Formal and written English — official statements, memos, contracts.
Three formal statements:
Look at the bold verbs next to "the CEO", "she" and "the tenant". What would you normally expect there instead — and what's happened to the negative in the third one? Say your idea before you check.
Type only the missing verb.
1. The committee recommends that each candidate (submit) a written statement.
2. It's vital that the alarm (not / go off) accidentally during the test.
3. Rewrite formally. Everyday: "The landlord says the new tenant should pay a deposit before moving in." Formal: "The landlord requires that the new tenant a deposit before moving in."
Imagine you're writing a short formal notice for your workplace or building. Say two rules out loud using "It's essential that..." or "...insists that..." with the bare subjunctive, then say the same two rules again the everyday way, with "should".
For hypothetical, unreal situations — and one fixed idiom that never changes.
Look at "were" in the first and third sentences — what's unusual about it, given the subjects "I" and "it"? Say your idea before you check.
1. If she in charge, the whole policy would be different.
2. it not for the volunteers, the shelter would have shut down last winter.
3. She's turned into the office diplomat, , smoothing over every disagreement between the two teams.
Say a piece of advice to a friend using "If I were you...", then describe a role you or someone you know has taken on unofficially, ending the sentence with "...as it were."
Emails, contracts and polished speech — conditionals with no "if" at all.
Each sentence is a conditional with no "if" at all. What's moved to the front instead? Say your idea before you check.
One more formal alternative worth knowing: but for + noun phrase replaces a whole "if it weren't for..." clause. "But for the fire alarm test, the office would have been silent all afternoon." = "If it hadn't been for the fire alarm test, ..."
1. Formal: " you need to change your booking, call the front desk directly."
2. Rewrite using the formal inverted form (no "if"): "If I had had more warning, I would have prepared properly."
3. Rewrite using "But for": "If it hadn't been for your feedback, I would have submitted the wrong version."
Imagine you're leaving a polite voicemail for a client about a delayed order. Say one sentence with "Should you...", one with "Had we known...", and one with "Were this to happen again..." — as naturally as you can.
Time to use today's forms in one real, polished piece of communication.
Something went wrong in a service or work situation — a delayed delivery, a double-booked venue, a mistake on a bill, a cancelled appointment. (If nothing comes to mind, invent one.)
Speak for one minute as the person responsible, apologising and reassuring the other person. Try to include:
Write a short, polished message (3–5 sentences) about the same situation, as if you were emailing the client formally. Use as many of today's forms as you can — the checker will tell you which ones it finds.
Everything mixed together — you decide which form fits.
Each sentence has one grammar mistake. Rewrite the whole sentence correctly.
1. "Should you will need any assistance during your stay, please dial 0 for reception."
2. "If had I known about the strike, half the team would have missed the meeting."
3. "The company insisted that he goes to the meeting in person."
4. "Had I more time, I would have double-checked every figure."
5. "___ you need to cancel your reservation, please give us 24 hours' notice."
6. "___ she known the museum would be shut for renovation, she'd have chosen a different venue for the exhibition."
7. "It is essential that all data ___ backed up before the system update."
Imagine you're a manager writing a formal notice about upcoming building work. Say two rules using "insists that.../it's essential that...", one prediction using a Should/Had/Were inversion, and one sentence with "were it not for" or "but for". Give yourself a mental one-minute limit and don't stop to correct yourself.
1. The basic (non-inverted) form you already know: "If she (know) about the traffic, she would have left earlier."
2. Say it out loud: what's the difference between "If I were rich..." and "If I had been rich..."? Give one example of a situation each would describe.
3. The safety inspector demanded that the site (close) immediately.
4. it not for last-minute sponsorship, the festival would have been cancelled.
5. the printer break down again, call the technician directly rather than waiting.
Which of today's forms do you think you'll actually use — in emails, at work, or in an exam? Say why you think that one will stick.
At the start we said: the subjunctive, the were-subjunctive, and formal inversions, so you can read and write confidently in formal English. Tick what's true: