Condition to be satisfied request, suggestion, etc.
If you (should) see him,
Should you see him, please give him my regards If you (should) happen to see him, Should you happen to see him,
If + should (+ bare infinitive), instead of if + present, makes the
condition more doubtful:
If he calls, tell him I'll ring back (normal Type 1)
If he should call, tell him I'II ring back (if + should)
The main clause is not necessarily always an imperative: If I should see him, I'll askhim to ring you
14 Conditional sentences
If + should + imperative in the main clause is used especially when we want to make polite requests or suggestions, or to tell people (tactfully) what to do:
If you should write to her, send her my love
If you should go to Nairobi, go and see the Snake ParkImperatives can also be used in ordinary Type 1 conditions:
Cancel the match if it rains If it rains, cancel the matchThe only kind of negative we can form with should is e.g. should you not (see example next paragraph); otherwise we must use the negative form of the simple present:
If you don't see him (Not *lf you shouldn't")
A condition can be expressed without if by beginning a sentence with should. This is rather formal and is often found, for example, in business letters, not in everyday conversation: Should you be interested in our offer, please contact us Should you not wish our agent to call,please let us know
The more elaborate the construction with should and/or happen to, the more tactful a speaker is trying to be. Compare the sequence:
| 14.9 Type 1, Variation 3: Imperative + conjunction + clause |
If you
If you should
Should you
If you happen to
If you should happen to
Should you happen to
Should you by any chance happen to
see him fairly likely: neutralsee him see him see him see him see him see him unlikely: very tactful
| imperative | conjunction | main clause: 'shall/will' |
| condition to be satisfied | likely outcome | |
| Provide the materials | and | we II do the job |
| Stop shouting, | or | you'll wake up the neighbours |
| Put that down, | or else | I'll smack you |
| Be there on time | otherwise | you'll create a bad impression |
Imperatives can be used in place of If-clauses to comment, make requests, make a bargain, offer advice, threaten and so on. The use of the imperative conveys more urgency than the If-clause:
comment: Fail to pay and they II cut oft the electricity
(If you fail to pay, they II cut off the electricity)
request: Tell us what to do and we II get on with it
(If you tell us what to do we II get on with it)
threat. Stop eating sweets, or you won t get any dinner
(If you don't stop eating sweets, you won t get any dinner)
advice: Take a taxi, otherwise you II miss your train
(If you don't take a taxi, you II miss your train )
Note the difference between imperative + or and imperative + and in
threats: Drop that gun orI'll shoot you (i.e. if you don't drop it) Drop that parcel andI'll kill you (i.e. if you do drop it)
Type 2 conditionals