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Difficulty: Very hardConjunctions and Clause Structure

Complete the sentence below by filling in the blank with the appropriate subordinating conjunction that expresses precaution.

Answer:The chief security officer ordered a comprehensive audit of the network protocols 【lest】 sensitive financial data should be compromised during the system migration.

Answer

lest
The conjunction 'lest' means 'for fear that' or 'to prevent the possibility of'. In formal English clause structure, 'lest' introduces an adverbial clause of purpose/precaution and requires the subjunctive mood or the auxiliary verb 'should'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the semantic relationship between the main clause and the subordinate clause.
The main clause describes a precautionary action ('ordered a comprehensive audit'), while the subordinate clause expresses a potential negative outcome to be avoided ('sensitive financial data should be compromised').
Identifying the purpose of preventing an undesirable event narrows down the connective to conjunctions of precaution or negative purpose.
2
Examine the grammatical structure of the subordinate clause.
The subordinate clause uses the modal auxiliary 'should' paired with the base verb 'be'.
The subordinating conjunction 'lest' specifically governs clauses expressing fear or negative purpose and dictates the use of either the subjunctive mood or the modal verb 'should'.

Key Concept

Subordinating Conjunctions of Precaution and Purpose (Lest)
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Topics

Conjunctions and Clause Structure

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