Clauses, Conditionals and Verb Patterns

About six English questions test how clauses and verbs fit together: which relative pronoun, which conditional, whether a verb takes -ing or to, and the causative have/get something done. The patterns are finite, so a table and some practice settle them.

A non-defining clause is set off by commas and never uses that: Kathmandu, which is the capital, is crowded.

Unless means if … not: Unless you hurry, you will miss the bus. Use were for all persons in the second conditional. Inversion: Had I known = If I had known. I wish I had a car (unreal present uses the past).

(a) If it rains, we will stay home

(b) If I were a bird, I would fly

5.3 Causative verbs, to-infinitives and gerunds

• Causatives: have/get something done (I had my hair cut); make/let/have someone + bare verb (She made me laugh; The teacher let them leave); get someone + to-verb (I got the mechanic to repair it).
• Verb + -ing: enjoy, avoid, finish, mind, suggest, consider, practise, admit, deny, give up, can't help, look forward to, be used to, it's no use, it's worth.
• Verb + to: want, decide, hope, plan, promise, refuse, afford, manage, learn, agree.
• Meaning changes: stop doing (quit) vs stop to do (pause in order to); remember/forget doing (past event) vs to do (task). Would rather is followed by a bare verb.

5.4 Eight traps in clauses, conditionals and verb patterns

These items test one rule each, so the traps are rules that students half remember.

1. Who is the subject, whom is the object. In "The woman whom I met", I is already the subject of the clause, so the pronoun is the object whom (Fig 5.1). Test by replacing the pronoun with he or him. If him fits, use whom.
2. Do not use that in a non-defining clause. "Kathmandu, which is the capital, is crowded" needs commas and which. A defining clause has no commas and may use that. Remember that whose shows possession for both people and things.
3. Do not put will in the if-part. Write "If it rains, we will stay home", not "If it will rain". The first conditional uses present in the if-part and will in the main part (Fig 5.2). The same holds for when, as soon as and unless in future meaning.
4. Use were for every person in the second conditional. "If I were a bird, I would fly" is correct for I, he and she. The second conditional talks about an unreal present, so the verb is past. After wish use the same pattern: I wish I had a car.
5. The third conditional needs past perfect and would have. "If he had studied, he would have passed" talks about the past that cannot be changed. Do not use would have in the if-part. The inverted form Had he studied means the same.
6. Unless already means if not. "Unless you hurry, you will miss the bus" equals "If you do not hurry, you will miss the bus". Do not add another not: unless you do not hurry is wrong. Use unless only with a positive verb.
7. Learn which verbs take -ing and which take to. Enjoy, avoid, finish, mind and suggest take -ing; want, decide, hope, plan and refuse take to (Fig 5.3). Make and let take a bare verb: She made me laugh. Look forward to is followed by -ing, because to is a preposition.
8. Check the meaning change. He stopped smoking means he quit; He stopped to smoke means he paused in order to smoke. I remember posting the letter is a memory; Remember to post the letter is a task (Fig 5.3). Would rather is followed by a bare verb: I would rather stay.

5.4.1 Worked checks

Q. Fill in the blank: "The woman ____ I met is my teacher." (who / whom / whose)

Answer. The woman is the object of met, so the answer is whom. I is the subject of the clause (Fig 5.1).

Q. Complete: "If he had studied, he ____ passed."

Answer. This is the third conditional (unreal past), so the main part is would have passed (Fig 5.2).

Q. Choose the correct form: "She suggested ____ early." (to leave / leaving)

Answer. Suggest takes the gerund, so the answer is leaving: "She suggested leaving early" (Fig 5.3).

Q. Correct the sentence: "If it will rain tomorrow, we will stay home."

Answer. The if-part takes the present tense: "If it rains tomorrow, we will stay home" (Fig 5.2).

Practice questions

Set A — Recall (20 questions)

1. The man ___ lives next door is a doctor.awhombwhosecwhichdwho
2. The book ___ I bought yesterday is interesting.awhichbwhocwhosedwhom
3. She is the girl ___ father is a pilot.awhobwhomcwhosedwhich
4. If it rains, we ___ at home.awould staybwill staycstayeddstays
5. If I ___ a bird, I would fly.aambwascbedwere
6. If he had studied, he ___ passed.awill havebwouldcwould havedhad
7. Unless you hurry, you ___ miss the bus.awillbwon'tcdiddhadn't
8. I had my hair ___ yesterday.acuttingbcutcto cutdcuts
9. She made me ___.ato laughblaughingclaughdlaughed
10. He enjoys ___ football.ato playbplaycplayeddplaying
11. She decided ___ a new job.ato findbfindingcfinddfound
12. Water boils if you ___ it to 100°C.aheatedbheatcwill heatdwould heat
13. I look forward to ___ you.aseebsawcseeingdto see
14. The teacher let the students ___ early.aleavebto leavecleavingdleft
15. He avoided ___ the question.ato answerbanswercanswereddanswering
16. I will get the mechanic ___ the car.arepairbto repaircrepairingdrepaired
17. That is the house ___ I was born.awherebwhichcwhodwhose
18. She suggested ___ to the park.ato gobgocgoingdwent
19. I would rather ___ tea than coffee.ato havebhavingchaddhave
20. She stopped ___ last year, and her health improved.ato smokebsmokingcsmokedsmoked

Set B — Understanding (12 questions)

1. If she ___ harder, she would pass.astudiesbwill studycstudieddhad studied
2. If I had known, I ___ you.awould have toldbwould tellcwill telldhad told
3. Rama, ___ brother is a doctor, lives here.awhobwhomcwhichdwhose
4. The woman ___ I met yesterday is my teacher.awhosebwhomcwhichdwhat
5. He had his car ___.arepairbrepairingcrepaireddto repair
6. I can't help ___ when I see a joke.alaughingbto laughclaughdlaughed
7. It is no use ___ over spilt milk.acrybto cryccrieddcrying
8. I am used to ___ up early.agetbgettingcgotdto get
9. Which sentence is correct?aIf it rains, I will stay home.bIf it will rain, I will stay home.cIf it rained, I will stay.dIf it rains, I would stay.
10. He promised ___ me.ahelpingbhelpcto helpdhelped
11. "Had I known" meansaIf I knewbUnless I knewcIf I knowdIf I had known
12. Unless you study, you ___ pass.awillbwon'tcwoulddwouldn't

Set C — Application (8 questions)

1. The school ___ I studied is near my house.awhobwhomcwhosedwhere
2. If he ___ earlier, he would have caught the train.ahad leftbleftchas leftdwould leave
3. She had the tailor ___ a dress.ato makebmakingcmakedmade
4. I forgot ___ the letter yesterday, so it is still on my desk.apostingbto postcpostdposted
5. He remembers ___ the lock; he is sure he did it.ato lockblockclockeddlocking
6. The man ___ car was stolen called the police.awhosebwhocwhomdwhich
7. If water is heated to 100°C, it ___.aboiledbwill boilcboilsdwould boil
8. I wish I ___ a car.ahavebhadcwill havedhaving