Universite d’antananarivo ecole normale superieure

Subject/ operator inversion in the third conditional

It is possible to delete the initial “if” and make a subject/operator inversion. Therefore,

If I had known the truth, I wouldn’t have said anything.
Can be written as: Had I known the truth, I wouldn’t have said anything.
If +Subject +had +past participle = Had + Subject +past participle.


Here are other examples:

1. 
   If Suzy had waited for the next bus, she wouldn’t have had that terrible accident.
   

Had Suzy waited for the next bus, she wouldn’t have had that terrible accident.

2. 
   We would have bought more candles if we had known there was no light in here.
   

We would have bought more candles had we known there was no light in here.