subjunctive mood - Must conditional sentences begin with "if?"


I've been looking at conditional sentences (conditional clauses).


Every example I've see is along the lines of, "if [x] then [y]."


I've seen alternatives/substitutes for the if part:



  • were I you (instead of "if I were you")

  • on condition that

  • unless

  • were


Yet, these still follow the same pattern: "condition [x] then [y]."


Is that the only way to have a conditional?
Is it not possible to invert/switch around the structure?
Would it still be a conditional clause (or conditional sentence) if I put the condition after the occurance?



  • If he eats that, he'll be sick.

  • He'll be sick if he eats that.

  • Unless you win this round, you are out.

  • You are out unless you win this round.


If those are not conditionals, what are they?
Would they be considered as "acceptable" if I were to be editing/rewriting something, or would it be seen as bad/improper/incorrect/having a sufficiently different implication?




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