Question (if clauses)

Question

Question :".........  you be the victim of a snakebite, the best thing you can do is get to a hospital as quickly as possible. "A)  ifB) ShouldThe answer is "should". According to me the two options are true. How can I think to see the difference?  Can you help me please?  Thank you.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

doventAccording to me the two options are true.

Not "true". "Correct". They don't have the same meaning.

dovent
Question :
"......... you be the victim of a snakebite, the best thing you can do is get to a hospital as quickly as possible. "
A) if
B) Should
The answer is "should".
... How can I ~~think to see~~ understand the difference? Can you help me please?

With 'if' you need this: "If you are the victim ...". You can't use the bare infinitive be as the only verb in an if-clause.
'should' is a modal verb, as are 'can', 'will', 'may', and so on. Modal verbs take the bare infinitive, so 'should' goes with 'be'. may be, could be, must be, should be, ....

should you be is an alternate way of saying if you are.

Similarly,

should he have is an alternate way of saying if he has, and should she decide is an alternate way of saying if she decides.

CJ

Nel0506 · Answer

Probably you realised that it is a conditional sentence with 'should' as a modal verb. We use 'should' as a modal to give advice, etc. But this is a special case of Should Inversion.

In this case, "if" is removed and "should" moves to the beginning.

"If you should be the victim of a snakebite, get to a hospital as quickly as possible.

Should you be the victim,.....

If you are

When the main clause has present tense, it is Conditional Zero and always true or a fact. That's what's confusing. This is an example of a Should Inversion in a tricky sentence!

dovent
Question :
"......... you be the victim of a snakebite, the best thing you can do is get to a hospital as quickly as possible. "
A) if
B) Should
The answer is "should".
According to me the two options are true. How can I think to see the difference? Can you help me please? Thank you.

Question (if clauses)

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