If : second conditional inversion

Question

teachers!

I'd like to ask you something about conditional inversion.

I'd like to know my sentence is right.

I changed the sentence ' If you were able to see ...' to ' Were you able to see..'

I tried 2nd conditional inversion and I wonder my sentence is correct.

Thank you!

No it isn't. It is, exactly as the OP said, the literary inverted form of the conditional "If you were able to see". — Colin Fine, Feb 20, 2018 at 19:09
@ColinFine: Really? Then the "uninverted" conditional "it were not" would make sense without the subjunctive mood? — Robusto, Feb 20, 2018 at 19:14
@ColinFine You're both talking about more or less the same thing. The second conditional is subjunctive + "would" + base form of verb. The literary inverted form is still subjunctive and drops the "if." — joiedevivre, Feb 20, 2018 at 19:46

Colin Fine · Accepted Answer · 2018-02-20 19:10:46Z

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Yes. That is exactly right. I'm sure you realise that this inversion is a literary form, little used in speech.

answered Feb 20, 2018 at 19:10

Colin Fine

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