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Possible Duplicates:
Are “should” and “if” interchangeable at the beginning of a sentence?
A special use of “should”?

For sentences that begin with "If", it seems that "should" can replace "If." For example:

If you ever...

Should you ever...

However after googling, it seems that "should" should not be used to replace "if." If this is true, then why do people do it?

I also looked up "should" in the dictionary, and I didn't find anything that says it means the same thing as "if."

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'Should' is a formal version of 'if'.

From Cambridge Dictionaries Online:

formal, used when referring to a possible event in the future:

If anyone should ask for me, I'll be in the manager's office.

Should you (= If you) ever need anything, please don't hesitate to contact me.

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  • Then is the "should" in "if you should ever" redundant? May 22, 2011 at 2:11
  • @language hacker: It depends on your definition of redundant. You could make the argument that should is a completely redundant word since it can also be replaced with "ought to" in other situations. But so what?
    – Kosmonaut
    May 22, 2011 at 2:32
  • Good grief, no. Should is not a formal version of if, any more than may is the month before June. Both should and may are modal auxiliary verbs and do not occur alone, nor as conjunctions. Mar 10, 2013 at 19:51

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