Question

If required, correct the tense in the following sentence:
Scientists predict that the Sun will die in the distant future.

a) Scientists will predict that the Sun will die in the distant future
b) Scientists predict that the Sun dies in the distant future
c) Scientists predict that the Sun will have died in the future
d) No change

Answer 1

Hint: The usage of tenses gives the proper information regarding a context. The given sentence speaks about something in the future.

Complete answer:

Tenses are used to denote the time of occurrence of action it says. We use the present, past, and future tense to describe the time of occurrences and completeness.
The given sentence has a principal clause and a subordinate clause where the former is in the present tense and the latter in future tense. As the principal or the main clause is in simple present, its dependent clause can take up a simple past, present perfect, simple future, or simple present tense.
The sentence is in the right form as the subordinate clause takes simple future tense that goes well with the simple present – ‘predict’ – in the main clause. Thus, option d becomes the right answer.
Option a is wrong as both the clauses take the simple future tense. This makes the sentence meaningless as it is a prediction of a prediction.
In option b too, we face a similar condition as both clauses are in the simple present tense.
Option c is incorrect as it gives a past connotation with the use of ‘will have.’

Note: The subordinate clause should always remain dependent on the principal clause, while the latter can contain the meaning of its own.