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.
.
_________________
Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mr. Micawber

[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.
.
_________________
Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mr. Micawber

[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
_________________
Billie Jean is not my lover. Hee.