"If I had not" vs "Had I not"

Both "if I had not" and "had I not" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "If I had not" is used in conditional sentences to express a hypothetical situation in the past, while "had I not" is used in formal or literary contexts for inversion in questions.

Last updated: April 15, 2024 • 75 views

"If I had not"

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English in conditional sentences to express a hypothetical situation in the past.

Use "if I had not" in conditional sentences to talk about something that did not happen in the past but could have happened under different circumstances.

Examples:

If I had not studied hard, I would have failed the exam.
If I had not left early, I would have missed the train.

Alternatives:

if I hadn't
if I hadn't had
if I hadn't been
if I hadn't gone
if I hadn't seen

"Had I not"

This phrase is correct but less commonly used in everyday language. It is typically found in formal or literary contexts for inversion in questions.

Use "had I not" in formal or literary contexts to invert the subject and auxiliary verb in questions, especially in more formal writing or speech.

Examples:

Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it.
Had I not known the truth, I would have been deceived.

Alternatives:

hadn't I
had I
had I ever
had I really
had I actually

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