The Were-Subjunctive in Conditionals: correct answers
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The subjunctive were is used in formal English to express hypothetical, unlikely, or unreal situations in the present and future. For example, instead of using "was," you might say, "If the CEO were here, she would agree." You can even use formal inversion to drop the "if" entirely, such as, "Were I to win the lottery, I would retire."
This challenge explores advanced conditional structures and formal hypotheticals. You will practice identifying correct subject-verb inversions (Were the engine to fail), using common subjunctive idioms (were it not for), and navigating tricky mixed conditionals where an ongoing hypothetical trait affects a past outcome. Along the way, you'll apply these rules to eccentric billionaires leaving fortunes to llamas and penguins, dramatic supervillains, and panicked time travelers.
You'll work through 10 questions in single-choice, multi-choice, drop-down, and drag-and-drop formats.
Try the quiz to check your knowledge!
Correct answers
Question 1
Complete the supervillain's dramatic monologue.
"Fools! ____ to press this shiny red button, your entire beloved city would instantly turn into a giant wheel of cheddar cheese!"
The correct answer is Were I.
In advanced and formal English, we can drop the word "if" in a conditional sentence by inverting the subject and the subjunctive verb "were" (Were I... instead of If I were...).
"If I was" is grammatically incorrect for a formal hypothetical (and lacks the necessary "to" in this specific sentence structure), "Was I" is an incorrect inversion, and "Had I" would require a past participle (like Had I pressed) rather than the infinitive to press.
Question 2
Complete the panicked passenger's text message to their family.
If the captain were actually paying attention to the radar, our ship would not be heading straight for that massive iceberg. I honestly wish I had taken the train instead!
The correct sentence is: If the captain were actually paying attention to the radar, our ship would not be heading straight for that massive iceberg. I honestly wish I had taken the train instead!
were: In unreal present conditionals, the subjunctive "were" is the grammatically correct choice over "was" for all subjects (including singular subjects like "the captain").
would: Because the "if" clause describes a hypothetical, contrary-to-fact situation, the main clause requires "would" to show the imaginary result.
had: When expressing regret about an event that already happened in the past, we follow the verb "wish" with the past perfect tense ("had taken").
Question 3
The correct answers are If the neighboring kingdom were to attack tomorrow, your defenses would crumble. and Suppose your majesty were betrayed by a close friend; how would you react?
Let's break down the options:
- Correct: "If... were to attack" is the standard formal subjunctive for a hypothetical future event.
- Correct: "Suppose" functions as a conditional conjunction (just like "if") and correctly triggers the subjunctive "were" for the singular subject "your majesty."
- Incorrect: "Were the new treaty to be signed..." is a great subjunctive clause, but the main clause uses "will end" (first conditional) instead of "would end" (second conditional).
- Incorrect: "Was the royal advisor to resign..." uses "was" for inversion. Conditional inversion ONLY works with the subjunctive "were" (i.e., Were the royal advisor to resign).
Question 4
Help the eccentric billionaire's lawyer finish drafting this unusual will.
"In the highly unlikely event of my disappearance, if my pet llama, Reginald, ____ to inherit my vast fortune, the global stock market would surely collapse."
The correct answer is were.
When talking about a highly unlikely or purely hypothetical future event, we can use the structure If + subject + were + to + infinitive (If my llama were to inherit).
Because this is a hypothetical scenario (the subjunctive mood), "were" is the strictly correct choice for all subjects, even singular ones like "llama". "Is" would be used for a real possibility, while "would" and "did" are grammatically invalid before "to inherit" in an if-clause.
Question 5
The correct answers are were it not for and if it were not for.
If it were not for is a fixed conditional phrase used to say that someone or something prevents a hypothetical situation from happening. Because it is an unreal situation, it uses the subjunctive were.
Just like other "were" conditionals, you can invert it by dropping "if": Were it not for.
"Was it not for" is grammatically incorrect because conditional inversion strictly requires the subjunctive "were."
Question 6
Answers and Explanations:
- Were
- would be
- were it
Were the eccentric billionaire to suddenly change...
This is an inverted conditional. In formal English, we can drop "if" and invert the subject and verb using the subjunctive "were" (meaning If the billionaire were to change...). "Was" cannot be used in this inverted structure.
...his ungrateful heirs would be absolutely furious.
The "were to" structure refers to a hypothetical future event, so the main clause requires the present conditional "would be," not the past conditional "would have been."
...were it not for his loyal pet parrot...
This is a fixed, formal subjunctive expression meaning "if it were not for" (or "without"). It describes a present/ongoing hypothetical situation.
Question 7
Choose the correct phrase to complete the knight's thank-you card to his dragon.
"Dear Ignis, if it ____ for your excellent fire-breathing skills, we would still be freezing in that terribly drafty castle."
The correct answer is were not.
The phrase "if it were not for" is a fixed conditional idiom used to say that one thing changes the outcome of everything else (similar to "without"). Because it describes a hypothetical, contrary-to-fact present situation, strict formal grammar requires the subjunctive were instead of the indicative was.
"Had not been" is incorrect here because the result clause ("would still be freezing") is in the present/continuous conditional, not the past perfect conditional. "Would not be" is incorrect because we do not use would in the if-clause.
Question 8
Answers and Explanations:
- were
- would have listened
- were
- would resign
If the CEO were...
This tests the formal subjunctive "were" for a counterfactual state. Because her nature is an ongoing, general trait, we use the past subjunctive ("were") rather than the past perfect. While "was" is sometimes heard in informal speech, "were" is the grammatically correct subjunctive form required in formal writing.
...she would have listened...
This is a mixed conditional. The condition is a general, ongoing state (If she were reasonable), but the result happened in the past (...she would have listened last month).
Furthermore, were she to propose...
This is an inverted conditional replacing "If she were to propose." "Was" is strictly incorrect in inverted conditionals.
...I would resign on the spot!
The condition talks about a hypothetical future event (tomorrow's meeting), so we use the standard conditional "would resign."
Question 9
Help the lawyer draft the eccentric billionaire's ridiculous contingency plan.
The beloved penguin would undoubtedly inherit the entire estate, were the billionaire to mysteriously vanish on Mars. In fact, the bird would already be the company's CEO right now, if it had not eaten the previous set of legal documents.
The correct sentence is: The beloved penguin would undoubtedly inherit the entire estate, were the billionaire to mysteriously vanish on Mars. In fact, the bird would already be the company's CEO right now, if it had not eaten the previous set of legal documents.
would: This is the result clause of a Type 2 (unreal) conditional, which requires the modal "would" to describe a hypothetical outcome.
were: In formal and C1-level English, we use the subjunctive "were" for all subjects in hypothetical scenarios. By omitting "if," the sentence uses formal inversion: "were the billionaire to vanish" means the exact same thing as "if the billionaire were to vanish."
had: This final sentence is a mixed conditional. The hypothetical condition occurred in the past (eating the documents), which requires the past perfect "had not eaten," while the result is in the present ("would already be").
Question 10
The correct answers are Were the main engine to fail and If the main engine were to fail.
In formal, unreal conditionals (second conditional), we use the subjunctive were for all subjects.
To make the sentence even more formal or dramatic, we can drop "if" and invert the subject and verb: Were the main engine to fail.
"Was" is never used in conditional inversion, and we do not use "would" in the "if" clause of a standard conditional sentence.