had "as if"
Hello everyone,
I'm reading a book (thirteen reasons why) and in the page 41 the author wrote: "[...]Every single event documented here may never have happened had you, Alex, not written my name on that list."
In first hand I couldn't understand the meaning, so I've translated it. A hidden "if" was shown up and I got it. If Alex didn't write Hanna's name on the list, that events weren't happened, right?
Why the author preferred the that way? Does it have a different impact or meaning for native people?
Thank you community
Search from various English teachers...
Answers · 5
2
It's just a different way of phrasing a certain type of "if" clause, and as Stuart pointed out, it is just a matter of style. The second way is a little more formal and more likely to be in written form than spoken English.
If you had not done this, I would have been unhappy. = Had you not done this, I would have been unhappy.
If it hadn't rained, we would have arrived sooner. = Had it not rained, we would have arrived sooner.
1
I think it is just a choice of style. It means the same way with or without the word “if”
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