His ears were not clear VERSUS his ears will not clear

[Dr. R. Saroj]

I am planning on a procedure in future that will depend on condiation at that time. For such sitiuation which tense will be use?

1. It is also possible that a mastoidectomy may be necessary if his ears were not clear.

2. It is also possible that a mastoidectomy may be necessary if his ears will not clear.

[Dr. R. Saroj]

He drinks alcohol at social level.

[Mister Micawber]

.
It is also possible that a mastoidectomy may be necessary if his ears are not clear (at that time).

He is a social drinker.
.
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Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's

[Dr. R. Saroj]

[Mister Micawber]

.
An ENG may be necessary if his disequilibrium does not resolve itself.

Surgical intervention may be necessary if her symptoms fail to resolve themselves after the above treatment.
.
_________________
Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's

[Torsten]

[Prezbucky]

I'd show the pauses surrounding "sir" by using commas to separate it from the rest of the sentence:

Thank you, sir, for your advice.

I'm doing this because

a) The sentence survives without "sir": Thank you for your advice.

and

b) If we were to put "sir" at the beginning of the sentence, we would use a comma. That is to say, "sir" is a clause unto itself, I think: Sir, thank you for your advice.

...or at the end of the sentence: Thank you for your advice, sir.

There is a pause before, after or surrounding "sir", depending on where "sir" is placed in the sentence... the comma (or commas) show(s) the pause(s).

:)

If we wanted to be melodramatic (or at least really obvious about how we wanted this to be spoken), we could do somethig like this:

Sir! Thank you for your advice!

or

Thank you -- sir -- for your advice.

hehe
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Billie Jean is not my lover. Hee.