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UPSC MainsENGLISH-COMPULSORY202210 Marks
Q43.

You tell me the truth. I shall not punish you. (Rewrite the sentence beginning with 'unless'.)

How to Approach

This question tests the candidate's understanding of basic English grammar, specifically the use of conditional sentences and the transformation of sentences using 'unless'. The approach should involve understanding the original sentence's meaning – a promise of non-punishment contingent on truthfulness – and then restructuring it to convey the same meaning using 'unless'. The key is to recognize that "You tell me the truth" is the condition for not being punished, and 'unless' introduces a negative condition.

Model Answer

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Introduction

Conditional sentences are fundamental to English grammar, expressing relationships between events and their consequences. The given sentence, "You tell me the truth. I shall not punish you," presents a simple conditional structure. Rewriting it using 'unless' requires understanding how 'unless' functions as a negative conditional, meaning 'if not'. The task demands a precise transformation that maintains the original sentence’s meaning while adhering to grammatical correctness. This exercise assesses a candidate’s ability to manipulate sentence structure and demonstrate a grasp of conditional logic.

The original sentence establishes a clear condition: telling the truth will prevent punishment. To rewrite this using 'unless', we need to express the condition under which punishment *will* occur. 'Unless' introduces the condition that, if it doesn't happen, the consequence will follow.

Transformation Process

The core idea is to negate the condition that prevents punishment. The original condition is "You tell me the truth." The negation of this is "You do not tell me the truth." Therefore, the 'unless' sentence will begin with this negated condition.

Rewritten Sentence

Unless you tell me the truth, I shall punish you.

Explanation of the Transformation

  • The original sentence implies: If you tell the truth, then I will not punish you.
  • The 'unless' sentence directly states: If you do not tell the truth (unless you tell the truth), then I will punish you.
  • The meaning remains identical. The rewritten sentence conveys the same promise and threat as the original.

Grammatical Considerations

It's crucial to maintain the correct tense and structure. The original sentence uses 'shall' which, while somewhat archaic, is grammatically correct. The rewritten sentence maintains this tense for consistency. Using 'will' instead of 'shall' would also be acceptable in modern English.

Alternative phrasing (less preferred)

While the above is the most direct and accurate transformation, one could also write: "I shall punish you unless you tell me the truth." However, this phrasing slightly alters the emphasis, making the punishment the primary focus rather than the truthfulness. The original sentence's emphasis is on the reward for truthfulness, which the first rewritten sentence preserves better.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the sentence "You tell me the truth. I shall not punish you" can be effectively rewritten as "Unless you tell me the truth, I shall punish you." This transformation accurately maintains the original meaning by utilizing the 'unless' construction to express the negative condition under which punishment will be administered. The exercise highlights the importance of understanding conditional logic and grammatical precision in English language proficiency.

Answer Length

This is a comprehensive model answer for learning purposes and may exceed the word limit. In the exam, always adhere to the prescribed word count.

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Additional Resources

Key Definitions

Conditional Sentence
A conditional sentence expresses that one event is dependent on another. They often use 'if' and 'then', or alternatives like 'unless'.
Negation
Negation is the process of making a statement negative. In grammar, it often involves adding 'not' or using negative words like 'unless', 'without', or 'never'.

Key Statistics

Approximately 1.35 billion people worldwide speak English as a first or second language (as of 2023).

Source: Statista (Knowledge Cutoff: 2023)

The Oxford English Dictionary contains over 600,000 headwords and definitions (as of 2023).

Source: Oxford English Dictionary (Knowledge Cutoff: 2023)

Examples

Legal Contracts

Conditional clauses are extensively used in legal contracts to define obligations and consequences. For example, "If the goods are not delivered by the specified date, the buyer is entitled to a refund."

Frequently Asked Questions

▶What is the difference between 'if' and 'unless'?

'If' introduces a condition for something to happen. 'Unless' introduces a condition that, if it *doesn't* happen, will cause something else to happen. 'Unless' essentially means 'if not'.

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