Conditional sentences. Main clause: “would”, “if” clause: verb in present tense

There are two basic options in the structure of conditional sentences. The most easily recognized structure starts with the “if” clause, followed by the condition and ending with the result. For example:

If I found her address, I would send her an invitation.

The translation of this sentence is that I would like to send her an invitation, but I can not find it. Since I can not find her address it is rather unlikely that I will send her an invitation.

Do not feel restricted to this structure, as another acceptable form starts with the main clause (also known as the result), followed by the “if” clause and ending with the condition. For example, reconsider the prior sentence:

I would have sent her an invitation if I had found her address.

The meaning of the two sentences is the same. One notable difference is that a comma is omitted from the sentence beginning with the main clause.