Question

Read the sentences from the text and their explanation given in the table below.

Sentences from the Text	Tenses	Explanation
1. If you like, I will try my best to resolve this matter.	Simple Present + Present Modal	The condition in the ‘if’ clause may or may not be fulfilled. The present tense refers only to a possible future action.
2. If, by chance something were to go wrong, our farmers would suffer.	Simple Past + Past Modal	The condition in the ‘if’ clause expresses a hypothetical or imaginary situation.
3. If I had known this would happen, I would have chosen another day.	Past Perfect + would have + Past Participle	The condition in the ‘if’ clause describes what the speaker would have done (differently) if the past situation had been different and it is impossible to rectify it in the present.

In sentence 1 ‘if you like’ is the subordinate clause (if clause) and ‘I will try my best to resolve this matter’ is the main clause.

Identify the subordinate and main clauses in sentences 2 and 3.

Answer 1

1. If, by chance, something were to go wrong, our farmers would suffer.
   Subordinate clause (if clause): If, by chance, something were to go wrong
   Main clause: Our farmers would suffer.
2. If I had known this would happen, I would have chosen another day.
   Subordinate clause (if clause): If I had known this would happen
   Main clause: I would have chosen another day.