English Grammer | If the main clause VERB is in the future tense, then the subordinate clause VERB should be ?

April 3, 2023 / 04:45 PM IST

Identify the subordinate clause in the following sentences.

1. As I didn’t know what I was supposed to do, I went to bed.
2. When we reached home we found water dripping down the walls.
3. She said that she didn’t trust me.
4. I don’t know why she is angry with me.
5. Because he had lost his job, he was facing a lot of financial difficulties.
6. The child needed help because he had lost his way.
7. I adopted the kitty which was lying in the ditch.
8. Although he tried hard, he was not able to find a good job.
9. The doctor gave him a tablet so that he would be able to sleep better.
10. He talks as if he knows every thing.
11. It took me a long time to find out what she wanted.
12. She learned Stenography so that she would get a better job.
Answers
1. As I didn’t know what I was supposed to do, I went to bed.
2. When we reached home we found water dripping down the walls.
3. She said that she didn’t trust me.
4. I don’t know why she is angry with me.
5. Because he had lost his job, he was facing a lot of financial difficulties.
6. The child needed help because he had lost his way.
7. I adopted the kitty which was lying in the ditch.
8. Although he tried hard, he was not able to find a good job.
9. The doctor gave him a tablet so that he would be able to sleep better.
10. He talks as if he knows every thing.
11. It took me a long time to find out what she wanted.
12. She learned stenography so that she would get a better job.

Fill in the blanks with an appropriate verb form.

Eight year old Priyanka Kargupta is a regular kid. She …………… (likes / is liking / like) playing with her pet dog and toys. But unlike most kids her age, Priyanka is sensitive to the happenings around her. That is why she ……………. (decides / decided / has decided) to do her bit to help the victims of Mumbai siege when most kids her age ……………. (preferred / prefers / has preferred) to watch from the sidelines.
Priyanka ……………………. (lives / is living / live) in Maryland , USA . She ………… (is / has / was) set up a webpage kidsformumbai.org to help children injured or orphaned by the Mumbai terror attacks. Kids from all around the world can visit the webpage and post their comments and ideas. If you …………………… (will / would / could) like to donate a dollar, you can make the payment too. The website ……………………. (has sought / seeks / is seeking) only one dollar from a visitor. The idea is to reach 500 people who ………… (will / are willing / has willed) to contribute rather than finding a single person who will shell out the $500 himself. Priyanka …………………….. (hopes / hoped / was hoping) to collect $500 by March end. So far she ……………………….. (is managing / has managed / had managed) to collect $80.
Answers
Eight year old PriyankaKargupta is a regular kid. She likes playing with her pet dog and toys. But unlike most kids her age, Priyanka is sensitive to the happenings around her. That is why she decided to do her bit to help the victims of Mumbai siege when most kids her age preferred to watch from the sidelines.
Priyanka lives in Maryland , USA . She has set up a webpage kidsformumbai.org to help children injured or orphaned by the Mumbai terror attacks. Kids from all around the world can visit the webpage and post their comments and ideas. If you would like to donate a dollar, you can make the payment too. The website seeks only one dollar from a visitor. The idea is to reach 500 people who are willing to contribute rather than finding a single person who will shell out the $500 himself. Priyanka hopes to collect $500 by March end. So far she has managed to collect $80

EXERCISE-II

One night a man ………… (dreamed / had dreamed / has dreamed) that he ………….. (is walking / was walking / had been walking) along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from his life ………… (flashes/ flashed / have flashed) across the sky. In each scene he …………… (no tice / noticed / has noticed) footp rints in the sand. Some times there ……… (was / were) two sets of footprints. At other times there were only one set of footprints.
This ………… (has bothered / bothered / had bothered) him very much because he noticed that during the toughest phases of his life – that is when he suffered from anguish, sorrow, or defeat – he ….. (can / could) see only one set of footprints.
Answers
One night a man dreamed that he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from his life flashed across the sky. In each scene he noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints. At other times there were only one set of footprints.
This bothered him very much because he noticed that during the toughest phases of his life – that is when suffered from anguish, sorrow, or defeat – he could see only one set of footprints.

Incorrect: He asked had I finished my work.
Correct: He asked if I had finished my work.
Correct: He asked whether I had finished my work.
An indirect yes/no question is introduced by if or whether. Note the word order.
Incorrect: He asked that what are you doing.
Correct: He asked what I was doing.
Incorrect: He asked to John why your father is angry.
Correct: He asked John why his father was angry.
In an indirect question the subject comes before the verb.
Incorrect: He said that his father died last year.
Correct: He said that his father had died last year.
Incorrect: I did not see him because he went out before I arrived.
Correct: I did not see him because he had gone before I arrived.
Incorrect: He got angry before I said a word.
Correct: He got angry before I had said a word.
Incorrect: There I met a man who was my classmate 20 years ago.
Correct: There I met a man who had been my classmate 20 years ago.
These are examples of the common failure to use the past perfect tense when the time of one past tense verb is more past than that of another.
Incorrect: I will call you when dinner will be ready.
Correct: I will call you when dinner is ready.
When the verb in the main clause is in the future tense, the verb in the subordinate clause should be in the present, and not in the future.

Add appropriate Question Tags

1. She is not here, ……………….? (is she / isn’t she / does she)
2. You sold your car, …………….? (did you / didn’t you / hadn’t you)
3. You know him, ……………….? (do you / don’t you / didn’t you)
4. They punished the boy, ………..? (did they / didn’t they / don’t they)
5. She seems upset, ………..? (does she / doesn’t she / didn’t she)
6. The patient doesn’t eat much, ………….? (does he / did he / doesn’t he)
7. They took an hour to finish the job, …………? (did they / didn’t they / do they)
8. They were shocked to hear the news, ………………….? (were they / weren’t they / didn’t they)
9. She told you something, ……..? (did she / didn’t she / hadn’t she)
10. They got married in July, …..? (did they / didn’t they / don’t they)
Answers
1. She is not here, is she?
2. You sold your car, didn’t you?
3. You know him, don’t you?
4. They punished the boy, didn’t they?
5. She seems upset, doesn’t she?
6. The patient doesn’t eat much, does he?
7. They took an hour to finish the job, didn’t they?
8. They were shocked to hear the news, weren’t they?
9. She told you something, didn’t she?
10. They got married in July, didn’t they?
Fill in the blanks with an appropriate article.
1. There is …….. fly in my soup. (a / an / the)
2. Where is ………….. book you borrowed from me? (the / a / an)
3. He is ….. geologist. (a / an / the)
4. She is working on …………… new project at ……… moment. (a / an / the)
5. I waited for ………… hour and then I went home. (a / an / the)
6. If I have more money I will buy …………… car. (a / an / the)
7. ………… meal was delicious though expensive. (a / an / the)
8. Do you think that increasing ……… price of fuel will prevent traffic jams? (a / an / the)
9. What did you do with ………… little money you had? (a / an / the)
10. She lives in …… small cottage above the river. (a / an / the)
11. This is ……………… best gift
I have received. (a / an / the)
Answers
1. There is a fly in my soup.
2. Where is the book you borrowed from me?
3. He is a Geologist.
4. She is working on a new project at the moment.
5. I waited for an hour and then I went home.
6. If I have more money I will buy a car.
7. The meal was delicious though expensive.
8. Do you think that increasing the price of fuel will prevent traffic jams?
9. What did you do with the little money you had?
10. She lives in a small cottage above the river.
11. This is the best gift I have received.