In formal English, conditionals can be inverted by removing 'if' and placing 'were', 'had', or 'should' at the beginning. This creates a more formal, literary style. The meaning is the same as regular conditionals.
Quick tip: Remove 'if', move 'were/had/should' to start. WERE I = If I were. HAD I = If I had. SHOULD YOU = If you should.
Were I (Type 2 Conditional Inversion)
Use 'Were I' instead of 'If I were' for Type 2 conditionals (unreal present/future). Remove 'if' and place 'were' at the start. Very formal.
Were I in your position, I would accept. (= If I were in your position)
Were she here, she would help. (= If she were here)
Were we to win, we'd celebrate. (= If we were to win)
Were it not for you, I'd be lost. (= If it were not for you)
Had I (Type 3 Conditional Inversion)
Use 'Had I' instead of 'If I had' for Type 3 conditionals (unreal past). Remove 'if' and place 'had' at the start. Very formal.
Had I known earlier, I would have told you. (= If I had known earlier)
Had she studied harder, she would have passed. (= If she had studied harder)
Had we left on time, we wouldn't have missed it. (= If we had left on time)
Had it not rained, we would have gone. (= If it had not rained)
Should You (Type 1 Conditional Inversion)
Use 'Should you' instead of 'If you should' for Type 1 conditionals (real future). Remove 'if' and place 'should' at the start. Formal and polite.
Should you need any help, please call me. (= If you should need any help)
Should the situation change, I'll let you know. (= If the situation should change)
Should you have questions, don't hesitate to ask. (= If you should have questions)
Should it rain, we'll stay inside. (= If it should rain)
Common mistakes
Not "Were I would be rich, I would travel." — say "Were I rich, I would travel.". In inverted conditionals, don't use 'would' in the if-clause. 'Were I rich' (not 'Were I would be rich')..
Not "Had I would have known, I would have told you." — say "Had I known, I would have told you.". In inverted conditionals, don't use 'would have' in the if-clause. 'Had I known' (not 'Had I would have known')..
Practise it
Invert: Remove 'if', move 'were/had/should' to beginning. Keep the rest the same. Very formal style!