If not ____ with the respect he feel due to him, Jack gets very ill-tempered and grumbles all the time.

A. being treated
B. treated
C. be treated
D. having been treated

How many possible answers do we have here? Or is there only ONE BEST answer here?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Chuncan Feng,

Both A and B are correct.

Do you think that one is better than the other?

No. But the key to a national proficiency test here says B is the right answer.

My two cents:

I agree with the answer key, that B is the correct answer.

It implies "all the time." I feel that not being treated ... implies "now" rather than "all the time," and that doesn't work for me in this context since the sentence talks about how Jack reacts all the time.

quote:

If not ____ with the respect he feel due to him, Jack gets very ill-tempered and grumbles all the time.

A. being treated
B. treated
C. be treated
D. having been treated

Of course B is correct, gentlemen.

But, suppose you started the sentence this way:

If not being treated with the respect he feel due to him, Jack _______ very ill-tempered and grumbles all the time.

What verb fits in there? Gets fits in.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Rachel, Moderator,

I think if not being treated in its full version is if he's not being treated, which can mean "now."

If you look at it that way, the other part will be Jack is going to get very ill-tempered and grumble all the time.

quote:

I think if not being treated in its full version is if he's not being treated, which can mean "now."

Yes, that is one way. But 'gets' also works.

And, if we use the original sentence with 'treated' -- If not treated with the respect he feels due to him, Jack is going to get / will get very ill-tempered and grumble all the time -- is also correct.

So, I do believe that both 'being treated' and 'treated' are OK for the given sentence.

(1) The if here means when(ever). As Richard suggests, the sentence refers to something habitual.

(2) with such if-clauses, the main clause can take either the modal will plus verb or a simple present verb. If a past habitual event is involved, it takes would plus verb or a simple past verb. Other tenses are also possible, depending on the intended meaning of such a sentence. What is most important is that the will in such sentences seems to be semantically different from that in the simple future sense as in the following example: If it stops raining tomorrow morning, I will go to town.

(3) The question in full reads either (a) or (b):

(a) Whenever he is not treated with the respect he feels due to him, he gets ill-tempered and grumbles all the time.
(b) Whenever he is not being treated with the respect he feels due to him, he gets ill-tempered and grumbles all the time.

(4) One further question: can being treated mean the same as treated?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Chuncan Feng,

Off-topic:

I'm glad to see that the word "feel" was changed to "feels" in the last post. :-)

I'd also like to mention that I'd tend to say "due him" as opposed to "due to him".

This message has been edited. Last edited by: *Amy*,

Can we consider (a) and (b) correct answers in the end? I do really agree with Rachel that both are so.

quote:

4) One further question: can being treated mean the same as treated?

The result is the same.

Let's view this in another way. Let's use an active verb in that dependent clause:

a) If/Whenever people don't treat him with the respect he feels due him, he gets ill-tempered and grumbles all the time.

b)If/Whenever people aren't treating him with the respect he feels due him, he gets ill-tempered and grumbles all the time.

Both these sentences, and the original two we've been discussing are correct. They do mean the same thing, although the progressive focuses on the happening at the moment and may not include the entire action.

I wonder why the exam's answer key said the correct answer is (b) then?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: tonyjab,

My penny-worth:
Personally, I would say that only B is correct. I feel that 'WHEN not being treated' would work, but that it doesn't work with 'if'.
Tessa

Hi Tessa,
According to your last reply the following would also be incorrect:

If they are watching , he doesn't go into their room.

No Tony - according to my last reply,
'If being watched, he doesn't go into their room'
would be incorrect.
It's the 'if being/if not being' that disturbs me.
Tessa

well the present participle is no different!