Directions: item in this section has a sentence with three underlined parts labelled (a), (b) and (c). Read sentence to find out whether there is any error in any underlined part and indicate your response in the Answer Sheet against the corresponding letter, i.e., (a) or (b) or (c). If you find no error, your response should be indicated as (d). If you were to (a) / come to Chennai to settle down (b) / it will be the best possible decision. (c) / No error (d)
c
Spotting Grammar Errors in Conditional Sentences
This question asks us to identify a grammatical error in a given sentence. The sentence provided is: "If you were to (a) / come to Chennai to settle down (b) / it will be the best possible decision. (c) / No error (d)". This is a conditional sentence, and understanding the structure of such sentences is key to finding the error.
Analyzing the Sentence Structure and Parts
Let's break down the sentence and examine each underlined part:
- Part (a): "If you were to"
- Part (b): "come to Chennai to settle down"
- Part (c): "it will be the best possible decision."
The sentence uses the structure "If you were to + base verb..." in the 'if' clause. This construction is used to talk about a hypothetical or unlikely situation in the present or future. It functions similarly to the past simple tense in a Type 2 conditional structure (e.g., "If you came to Chennai...").
Identifying the Potential Error
In conditional sentences, the verb tense or form used in the main clause depends on the structure used in the 'if' clause.
- For Type 2 conditional sentences (hypothetical/unlikely present/future), the structure is typically: If + past simple/past subjunctive, would + base verb.
- The structure "If you were to..." is a variation of the Type 2 conditional.
Given the 'if' clause "If you were to come...", which indicates a hypothetical situation, the main clause should use the conditional form, typically "would + base verb", to show the hypothetical result.
Let's look at the main clause:
- Part (c): "it will be the best possible decision."
This part uses "will be", which is the future simple tense. This form is usually used with Type 1 conditional sentences (real or likely present/future situations), such as "If you come to Chennai, it will be...". However, the 'if' clause "If you were to come..." signals a hypothetical situation, which requires a different verb form in the main clause.
The correct structure for a hypothetical result following "If you were to..." is generally "would be". Therefore, "it will be" in part (c) is grammatically incorrect in this context.
Conclusion
The error lies in part (c) because the main clause uses "will be" instead of the appropriate conditional form "would be" to match the hypothetical nature indicated by "If you were to" in the 'if' clause. The sentence should correctly read: "If you were to come to Chennai to settle down, it would be the best possible decision."
Thus, the error is in part (c).
| Part | Phrase | Analysis | Correct Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | If you were to | Correct for hypothetical situation (Type 2 conditional variation) | N/A |
| (b) | come to Chennai to settle down | Correct phrase structure following "were to" | N/A |
| (c) | it will be the best possible decision. | Incorrect verb form ('will be') for a hypothetical result. | would be |
| (d) | No error | Incorrect, as there is an error in (c). | N/A |
Revision Table: Conditional Sentences
| Type | Condition (If Clause) | Result (Main Clause) | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | If + present simple | will + base verb | Real or likely future situations | If it rains, we will stay inside. |
| Type 2 | If + past simple or past subjunctive (were) | would + base verb | Hypothetical or unlikely present/future situations | If I won the lottery, I would travel the world. |
| Type 2 (variation) | If + were to + base verb | would + base verb | Hypothetical or unlikely present/future situations (often emphasizes hypothetical nature) | If you were to ask her, she would probably say yes. |
| Type 3 | If + past perfect | would have + past participle | Unreal past situations (things that did not happen) | If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam. |
Additional Information on 'If you were to'
The structure "If you were to..." is a polite or more formal way of creating a Type 2 conditional sentence. It often suggests that the condition is less likely, or it can be used to give advice or make suggestions about hypothetical situations. While "If you came..." is common, "If you were to come..." can add a slight nuance of hypotheticality or politeness.
Regardless of this subtle difference, both "If + past simple" and "If + were to + base verb" in the conditional clause require the conditional form (usually "would + base verb") in the main clause when talking about hypothetical present or future results.
For example:
- Incorrect: If I were to fly, I will feel scared.
- Correct: If I were to fly, I would feel scared.
Similarly, in the original sentence, "If you were to come...", the correct main clause verb form is "would be", not "will be".
Similar Questions
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Important Questions from Error Spotting
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No one knows (a) why he did it, (b) or who was behind his doing it.(c) No error. (d)
