BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

A simple truth about children is that if they feel loved and

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Locked
Previous Topic Next Topic
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 298
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:42 am
Location: New delhi
Thanked: 10 times
Followed by:7 members
GMAT Score:590

A simple truth about children is that if they feel loved and

by varun289 » Tue Apr 30, 2013 9:25 pm
A simple truth about children is that if they feel loved and protected, they would generally behave well.

if they feel loved and protected, they would generally behave well

if they feel loved and protected, their behavior will be generally good.

they generally behave well if they feel loved and protected

if they loved and protected, they would generally behave well

they will generally be well-behaved if they feel loved and protected


how c ? , OMO -b
Top
Source: — Sentence Correction |

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 2095
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 3:22 pm
Thanked: 1443 times
Followed by:247 members

by ceilidh.erickson » Thu May 02, 2013 1:59 pm
Here, the verb sequence depends on the meaning.

You're perfectly correct that if/then constructions can take the format "If [present tense cause], then [future tense effect]." For example, If you study diligently, you will do well on the GMAT. Studying in the present causes "doing well" in the future.

In this example, though, there is no time differentiation between the children "feeling loved and protected" and "behaving well." Since we are talking about things that are generally true in the present, it makes most sense to use the simple present tense for both verbs. It's perfectly correct to say "If [present tense cause], then [present tense effect]" for circumstances that are generally true.

It's also perfectly correct to invert the order of the if/then construction: "[present tense effect] if [present tense cause]"
Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Top
Post new topic Locked
• Page 1 of 1