How to Use "Were to" in Conditionals

Learn how to use "were to" in conditionals

Lesson Transcript

Hi everybody, my name is Alisha.

In this video, I'm going to talk about how to use 'were to' in conditional sentences.

Let's get started.

First, let's look at the grammar pattern for this lesson.

Today we're going to focus on using 'were to' to make conditional sentences.

So the basic pattern is if subject were to.

After were to, we can make a choice.

So we can use the infinitive verb form for one type of conditional sentence or we can use have plus the past participle verb form for a second type of conditional sentence.

After this, we have the main clause.

In the main clause with this type of grammar pattern, we have to choose either "would" for an unreal future situation or "would have" for an unreal past situation.

So just to be extra clear here, when we use this "would have" or this "would", we need to make sure it matches with this verb that we choose here.

So basically by this I mean this verb, infinitive verb, needs to match with this verb here.

So if subject were to infinitive verb, something, something would in the main clause.

This pattern creates an unreal future conditional sentence.

We'll talk about what this were to is in just a moment.

The second pattern here deals with an unreal past situation and that uses this second pattern.

So if subject were to have past participle verb in the main clause would have.

would-have pattern is used for an unreal past conditional sentence.

So there are two patterns that I have included right here.

So we're going to practice these, but first let's look at what this word to is used to do.

Using this word to pattern shows the action or the condition in the if clause, this action here or this condition here is very unlikely or even unimaginable.

So it's something that is perhaps even completely impossible.

It's so unlikely that we maybe can't even imagine it happening, but we want to talk about it for some reason.

So we use this grammar pattern to imagine things that are extremely unlikely or impossible and to imagine our actions.

So this is kind of used when we're dreaming.

Also, I want to note that this "were to" pattern isn't so commonly used, but we do come across it from time to time.

It may, to some people, sound a little clunky or a little old-fashioned, and I kind of agree with that, actually.

But it is important to know what this is because it is used from time to time.

So let's take a look at two example sentences that use this pattern.

So the first example here uses a future example, so an unreal future example.

Here we have, "If I were to move to a new city, I would have to look for a new job."

So here we have were to before move, the infinitive form of the verb.

Here is my if clause.

This tells me this action moving to a new city is very, very unlikely for the speaker.

So that means we're just imagining the situation.

Then in the main clause we have, I would have to look for a new job.

So here, don't get confused, there is a have here, but this is part of the have to, meaning some kind of responsibility.

This is not would have, this would have pattern.

So please be careful there.

But our verb here is look.

I would have to look for a new job.

So we are simply imagining this very unlikely scenario.

So this might come up, for example, in a discussion with your friends, like about moving to a new city.

And you have no plans to move to a new city, but you want to imagine it.

You could use this kind of sentence to express that idea. Okay?

Let's look at the second example now, which looks at a past situation, a very unlikely past situation and past result.

So our if clause, "If I were to have skipped the meeting or the client meeting, my boss would have fired me."

So here in the if clause is the were to.

If I were to have skipped, so here we have this have past participle verb.

to skip a meeting, right?

It means to not go as planned, right?

If I were to have skipped the client meeting, my boss would have fired me.

So again, this is a very unlikely situation.

The speaker is saying, this is extremely unlikely.

I cannot imagine skipping the client meeting.

But if I had skipped the client meeting, my boss would have fired me.

That would have been the past result.

So we are talking about an extremely unlikely situation and the outcome that we imagine.

We use this word to to express this. Okay?

So with this in mind, I want to compare this grammar pattern to other conditionals because you might think, well, isn't that similar to like second conditional or third conditional?

Yes, it is very similar, but it does communicate more of a sense of something is very unlikely or even less possible.

So let's review these other conditionals and see how this one, this "were to" pattern compares.

So first let's review the second conditional.

The second conditional follows this pattern and we're going to focus on using "would" in the main clause so we can compare with the focus grammar point here.

So second conditional is "if subject past tense verb would main clause.

So a very basic second conditional refresher, right?

So let's compare two sentences.

They mean the same thing, but let's look at the nuance.

But so first is the second conditional.

If he called, would you help him?

So second conditional is used to talk about something we feel is fairly unlikely, right?

So we don't imagine and it's going to happen right away.

We're kind of just imagining that maybe something could happen, but it has a fairly low chance.

So if he called, here's our past tense verb, if he called, would you help him?

So we are just imagining, right?

We're asking a question here.

In the were to conditional though, if he were to call, would you help him?

So you can see the difference is just with this.

if he were to call as opposed to if he called, right?

This were to shows that it's even more unlikely.

His phone call is very, very unlikely.

We're showing something that seems next to impossible.

We just want to imagine this situation for some reason.

So this is the difference between the second conditional and the were to conditional.

So let's compare this now to the third conditional.

The third conditional is used to talk about past situations, right?

So not future ones like this, okay?

So third conditional to refresh our minds, we use if subject had past participle verb.

And then, again, I want to focus on using would have in the main clause.

So in these conditionals, yes, we can use other things in the main clauses, but for this lesson, I want to focus on that would have pattern.

So, third conditional is used to talk about unlikely situations in the past.

"Were to" sounds even more unlikely, impossible, unimaginable.

So let's compare.

Here's our third conditional sentence.

If I had won the contest, I would have received a lot of money.

If I had won, yeah?

So here's "had" past participle verb form.

If I had won the contest, I would have received a lot of money.

So I did not win the contest, but I want to imagine it.

Maybe it was possible, but very unlikely in the past, yeah?

You entered a contest, the chances were low, unlikely, you just want to imagine it.

Let's compare this to the 'were to' conditional.

If I were to have won the contest, I would have received a lot of money.

So again, 'were to' plus 'have won', right?

So if I were to have won the contest, sounds like that's even more unlikely.

Maybe this is a year later after the contest and we're imagining, we're thinking back on this very unlikely situation and just imagining the potential outcome of that.

So this is kind of how we might use were to and the reason that we might use were to instead of a third conditional sentence like this.

So these are kind of the nuances that come across when we use this were to grammar pattern.

So again, you might not see it as commonly used as maybe the second conditional or the third conditional, but it is used in many different situations in media, in books and articles and so on from time to time.

So it is good to know what it means and how to use it yourself.

So I hope that you enjoyed this lesson and learned something new about this word to grammar pattern.

Of course, if you have any questions or comments or if you want to practice making some example sentences with this grammar, please feel free to do so in the comment section of this video.

Thanks very much for watching this lesson and I will see you again soon. Bye!

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