Tense with "lest"

[tung quoc]

Dear teachers,

Please choose the correct sentences: (don't use should)

1.He dared not spend the money lest someone ask where he had got it.
2.He dared not spend the money lest someone asked where he had got it.
3.She began to be worried lest he have met with some accident.
4.She began to be worried lest he had met with some accident.

Is there a rule?

Thanks
Quoc

[Yankee]

Hi Quoc

Why did you write (don't use should)? Or was that a little clue from your teacher?

I'd say the correct sentence is 2.He dared not spend the money lest someone asked where he had got it.

The word lest isn't used very often, but when it is, it can be used to mean "for fear that" or "in case" or "so that ... not". Lest is often used with the subjunctive or should.

By the way, the sentences apparently come from "A Practical English Grammar" (Thomson & Martinet)

Amy
_________________
Amy
.
ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[tung quoc]

Dear teacher,

You will choose (1) or (2)? (What sentence is correct?)
1.She began to be worried lest he have met with some accident.
2.She began to be worried lest he had met with some accident.

Quoc

[Yankee]

.
Sentence 2 (originally sentence 4) might possibly be seen as correct, but I doubt I'd ever actually use such a sentence.

I'd say the rule your teacher might be looking for is the use of the subjunctive rather than a "should" construction.
_________________
Amy
.
ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English