Completing sentences

Completing sentences means finishing an incomplete sentence in a grammatically correct and meaningful way.

🧩 How is a sentence completed?

A sentence can be completed by adding:

a word

a phrase

a clause

✍️ Example

Incomplete:

He studied hard so that ______

Complete:

He studied hard so that he might pass the exam.

Completing Sentences

Completing sentences can be completed with these three basic components-

Words or

Phrase or

Clause 

They change according to the meaning and context 

Rules of Completing Sentence 

✅ Rule 1: Relative Pronouns

who / which / that / whom / when / where

🔹 The verb after the relative pronoun agrees with the subject (number & person).

Pattern:

Subject + relative pronoun + correct verb

Example:

Incomplete: It is I who ______

Complete: It is I who am going abroad.

📌 Verb changes according to the real subject.

✅ Rule 2: so that / in order that

🔹 Used to express purpose.

Pattern:

Main clause + so that / in order that + may / might / can / could + verb

Tense Rule:

Present → may / can

Past → might / could

Example:

Incomplete: The workers work hard so that ______

Complete: The workers work hard so that they may earn a decent salary.

✅ Rule 3: as if / as though

🔹 Used to show imaginary or unreal situations.

Patterns:

1️⃣ Present meaning → past tense

2️⃣ Past meaning → past perfect

Examples:

Incomplete: She speaks as if ______

Complete: She speaks as if she were mad.

He behaved as though he had seen a ghost.

✅ Rule 4: so … that

🔹 Shows result or effect.

Pattern:

Subject + verb + so + adjective + that + subject + cannot / could not + verb

Example:

Incomplete: I am so tired ______

Complete: I am so tired that I cannot stand up.

✅ Rule 5: If / Provided / Provided that / Providing that

🔹 These express condition.

Pattern:

Future in main clause + present tense in if-clause

Example:

Incomplete: I will get tired if ______

Complete: I will get tired if I don’t eat regularly.

📌 Never use future tense after “if”.

✅ Rule 6: though / although

🔹 Meaning of the two clauses must be opposite (contrast).

Example:

Incomplete: Though he worked hard ______

Complete: Though he worked hard, he could not succeed.

✅ Rule 7: since / as (reason)

🔹 Here, the two clauses support each other (no contradiction).

Example:

Incomplete: As he knows English, ______

Complete: As he knows English, he may get a good job.

✅ Rule 8: since (with “It is / It has been”)

🔹 If the first clause is present, the verb after since is past tense.

Pattern:

It is / has been + time + since + past tense

Example:

Incomplete: It is ten years since ______

Complete: It is ten years since I met him.

✅ Rule 9: since (with “It was”)

🔹 If the first clause is past, the verb after since remains past, but main verb becomes present perfect.

Example:

Incomplete: It was ten years since ______

Complete: It has been ten years since I met you last.

✅ Rule 10: It is time / It is high time

🔹 Use past tense, though meaning is present.

Example:

Incomplete: It is time ______

Complete: It is time we changed our schedule.

✅ Rule 11: Unless

🔹 Unless means if not, so the main clause is negative.

Example:

Incomplete: Unless you obey your elders ______

Complete: Unless you obey your elders, you cannot succeed.

✅ Rule 12: I wish / Would that

🔹 Expresses desire or regret.

Use were for all subjects.

Example:

Incomplete: I wish ______

Complete: I wish I were a king.

Would that he were alive!

✅ Rule 13: Before / After

🔹 Follow sequence of actions.

Before:

Past perfect + before + past simple

Example:

I had read the letter before I burnt it.

After:

Past simple + after + past perfect

Example:

I burnt the letter after I had read it.

✅ Rule 14: No sooner had / Scarcely had

🔹 Expresses immediate action.

No sooner … than

No sooner had + subject + past participle + than + past tense

Example:

No sooner had the doctor gone than the patient died.

Scarcely … when

Scarcely had + subject + past participle + when + past tense

Example:

Scarcely had he arrived at the station when the train left.

✅ Rule 15: so / therefore / hence

🔹 These words show result or consequence.

The second clause must logically follow the first.

Example:

Incomplete: He was ill, so ______

Complete: He was ill, so he could not attend the class.

✅ Rule 16: Too … to

🔹 Used to show that something is impossible because of excess.

Pattern:

Subject + verb + too + adjective + to + verb

Example:

Incomplete: He is too weak ______

Complete: He is too weak to walk alone.

✅ Rule 17: Hardly / Barely

🔹 Similar to no sooner / scarcely

Used with inversion.

Pattern:

Hardly / Barely had + subject + past participle + when + past tense

Example:

Incomplete: Hardly had the bell rung ______

Complete: Hardly had the bell rung when the students left the room.

✅ Rule 18: As soon as

🔹 Shows that one action happens immediately after another.

Pattern:

As soon as + past simple, past simple

or

As soon as + present simple, future simple

Example:

Incomplete: As soon as the rain stopped ______

Complete: As soon as the rain stopped, we went outside.

✅ Rule 19: Lest

🔹 Means “for fear that”.

Always followed by should + verb.

Pattern:

Main clause + lest + subject + should + verb

Example:

Incomplete: He ran fast lest ______

Complete: He ran fast lest he should miss the train.

✅ Rule 20: Not only … but also

🔹 Used to add extra information.

If Not only starts the sentence, inversion is needed.

Pattern:

Not only + auxiliary + subject + verb, but also + subject + verb

Example:

Incomplete: Not only did he work hard ______

Complete: Not only did he work hard but also he succeeded.

✅ Rule 22: Because / Because of

🔹 Because → followed by a clause

🔹 Because of → followed by a noun / phrase

Examples:

Incomplete: He could not attend the class because ______

Complete: He could not attend the class because he was ill.

Incomplete: He could not attend the class because of ______

Complete: He could not attend the class because of illness.

✅ Rule 23: In spite of / Despite

🔹 Shows contrast (same meaning as although)

🔹 Followed by noun / gerund, not a clause.

Example:

Incomplete: In spite of his poverty ______

Complete: In spite of his poverty, he was honest.

✅ Rule 24: As well as

🔹 Verb agrees with the first subject, not the second.

Example:

Incomplete: He as well as his friends ______ present.

Complete: He as well as his friends is present.

✅ Rule 25: Either … or / Neither … nor

🔹 Verb agrees with the nearest subject.

Example:

Incomplete: Either you or he ______ responsible.

Complete: Either you or he is responsible.

Incomplete: Neither the teacher nor the students ______ present.

Complete: Neither the teacher nor the students were present.

✅ Rule 26: Such … that

🔹 Similar to so…that but structure differs.

Pattern:

Such + adjective + noun + that + clause

Example:

Incomplete: It was such a hot day ______

Complete: It was such a hot day that we could not go outside.

✅ Rule 27: Had better

🔹 Followed by base verb, not “to”.

Example:

Incomplete: You had better ______ now.

Complete: You had better leave now.

✅ Rule 28: Used to

🔹 Shows past habit.

Example:

Incomplete: He used to ______ in the village.

Complete: He used to live in the village.

✅ Rule 29: Would rather

🔹 Used for preference.

Patterns:

Would rather + base verb

Would rather + subject + past tense

Examples:

Incomplete: I would rather ______ at home.

Complete: I would rather stay at home.

Incomplete: I would rather you ______ earlier.

Complete: I would rather you came earlier.

✅ Rule 30: Let / Make / Have (Causative verbs)

🔹 Followed by object + base verb.

Example:

Incomplete: The teacher made the students ______

Complete: The teacher made the students write the homework.

✅ Rule 31: It + passive reporting verbs

🔹 Common in formal writing.

Pattern:

It is said / believed / known + that + clause

Example:

Incomplete: It is said that he ______ very rich.

Complete: It is said that he is very rich.

✅ Rule 32: One of the + plural noun

🔹 Verb after who/that is plural.

Example:

Incomplete: He is one of the students who ______ hardworking.

Complete: He is one of the students who are hardworking.

✅ Rule 33: The more … the more

🔹 Shows proportional increase.

Example:

Incomplete: The more you read ______

Complete: The more you read, the more you learn.

✅ Rule 34: Without

🔹 Followed by gerund (-ing).

Example:

Incomplete: He left the room without ______

Complete: He left the room without saying anything.

✅ Rule 35: As if / as though (with verb “be”)

🔹 Always use were, not was.

Example:

Incomplete: He talks as if he ______ the boss.

Complete: He talks as if he were the boss.

Happy learning