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Difficulty: HardConjunctions and Clause Structure

In complex sentence structure, subordinating connectives of manner establish hypothetical conditions that govern the mood of the dependent clause. Which word correctly fills the blank to complete the sentence?

Answer:The newly appointed director addressed the board of trustees as 【if】 he were entirely unaware of the severe financial deficit.

Answer

The blank must be filled with either 'if' or 'though', forming the compound subordinating conjunction 'as if' or 'as though'.
The correct response requires 'if' or 'though' to complete the compound subordinating conjunction 'as if' or 'as though'. This conjunction introduces an adverbial clause of manner depicting an unreal or hypothetical situation. In formal English, hypothetical manner clauses take the subjunctive past tense verb 'were' regardless of whether the subject is singular ('he').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the clause structure of the main sentence and the dependent clause.
The main clause is 'The newly appointed director addressed the board of trustees', and the dependent clause contains a subject ('he') and a subjunctive verb ('were').
Identifying the clause elements helps determine the category of conjunction required.
2
Determine the semantic relationship between the two clauses.
The sentence describes the manner in which the director spoke, implying a hypothetical or contrary-to-fact situation (indicated by the subjunctive 'were' with a singular subject 'he').
Hypothetical manner clauses require specific subordinating conjunctions that pair with 'as'.
3
Select the appropriate conjunction to pair with 'as'.
The conjunctions 'if' or 'though' combine with 'as' to form 'as if' or 'as though'.
'As if' / 'as though' correctly introduces an adverbial clause of hypothetical manner.

Key Concept

Subordinating Conjunctions of Manner and Subjunctive Clause Structure
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Topics

Conjunctions and Clause Structure

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