Fill in the blanks with a conjunction or a participle that can connect the clauses.
1. I waited for them …………………….. they came.
Till and until are interchangeable.
2. ……………………. men sow, so shall they reap.
As is a conjunction; like is a preposition. We need a conjunction to connect two clauses.
3. I am as strong ……………………….. you are.
To say that people or things are equal in a particular way, we use the structure as…as…
4. He was …………………….. tired that he could barely stand.
We cannot use a that-clause after very or too.
5. It is certain …………………… he will be late.
Noun clauses are often introduced by the conjunction that.
6. ………………………. a large sum of money, he gave up speculation.
He lost a large sum of money. He gave up gambling. We can combine them with the perfect participle 'having lost'.
7. ……………………….. he will waste his time is certain.
He will waste his time. That is certain. When we combine them we get: That he will waste his time is certain.
8. ……………………….. he is short-tempered, I like him.
Despite is a preposition; however is a transitional adverb; although is a conjunction. We need a conjunction to connect two clauses.
9. Ask the guard …………………………. it is time for the train to start?
Indirect yes/no questions can be introduced by if or whether.
10. ……………………. I know all the facts, I cannot help you.
Unless mean if not.
11. The votes on each side …………………… equal, the chairman gave his casting vote against the resolution.
When we split the sentence we get: The votes on each side were equal. The chairman gave his casting vote against the resolution. When we combine these two clauses into a simple sentence, we use the participle ‘being’.
12. ……………………. tired, he stopped working.
When we split clauses, we get: He felt tired; He stopped working. We can combine them with the present participle 'feeling'.
Answers
1. I waited for them till / until they came.
2. As men sow, so shall they reap.
3. I am as strong as you are.
4. He was so tired that he could barely stand.
5. It is certain that he will be late.
6. Having lost a large sum of money, he gave up speculation.
7. That he will waste his time is certain.
8. Although he is short-tempered, I like him.
9. Ask the guard if / whether it is time for the train to start?
10. Unless I know all the facts, I cannot help you.
11. The votes on each side being equal, the chairman gave his casting vote against the resolution.
12. Feeling tired, he stopped working.
