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If I had known about the delay, I would have taken a different route.
How should I rewrite this sentence using Inversion( formal, emphatic or literal)
Thanks
May 13, 2025 3:08 PM
Answers · 6
2
Firstly, remove 'if' because inversion makes it unnecessary. Then invert the subject and the first verb. So instead of 'I' first and 'had' second, it is 'had' first and 'I' second.
Had I known, I would have taken a different route. Only the sub clause can be inverted; the main clause is not inverted. It stays the same.
May 13, 2025 6:27 PM
1
To rewrite the sentence using inversion for formal/emphatic style, follow this structure:
Had + subject + past participle, subject + would have + past participle
Original:
If I had known about the delay, I would have taken a different route.
With inversion:
Had I known about the delay, I would have taken a different route.
This form is formal and often used in writing or speeches for emphasis.
May 15, 2025 1:12 AM
thank you
May 13, 2025 9:47 PM
So nothing is changed ?
May 13, 2025 5:56 PM
Had I known...., I would have taken...
May 13, 2025 5:42 PM
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Mhl
Language Skills
Arabic, English, French
Learning Language
English, French
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