省略在虛擬條件句中的應用

一、省略連詞if

有時可將條件從句的連詞if省略，但此時應用倒裝句型，即將從句中的were, should, had 等提到句首。如：

Were I you, I would stay. 倘若我是你, 那我就畱下。

Should I be free tomorrow, I will come. 萬一我明天有空，我會來。

Had it not been for the bad weather we would have arrived in time. 若不是天氣壞，我們就準時到達了。

注：① 若條件從句爲否定句，否定詞not應置於主語之後，而不能與were, should, had 等縮略成weren't, shouldn't, hadn't而置於句首。

② 有時省略if後提前的had不是助動詞。如：

Had I time, I would come. 假若我有時間，我會來的。(=If I had time…)

二、省略從主語和動詞be

若主從句主語一致，且謂語部分包含有動詞be，通常可將主語和動詞be省略。如：

If repaired earlier, the tractor would not have broken down. 要是早點兒脩一下，拖拉機就不會拋錨了。(=If it had been repaired earlier…)

三、省略“it+be”

If necessary, I would send more farm-hands to help you. 如果需要的話我會派更多的民工去你。

四、省略整個條件從句

這樣的省略通常需要借助一定的上下文，即省略條件從句後，所賸下的主句的意思在一定的上下文中意思是清楚的。如：

I might see her personally. It would be better. 我可以親自去看她，這樣好一些。(=…If I saw her personally, it would be better.)