I have the following sentence:
If T had still been alive, there is the great possibility that either T or C ...
My teacher says that the word "then" must appear after the comma, but I think that it's implied and unnecessary. Who is right?
I have the following sentence:
If T had still been alive, there is the great possibility that either T or C ...
My teacher says that the word "then" must appear after the comma, but I think that it's implied and unnecessary. Who is right?
It is not necessary to use then to introduce the consequence of the if clause:
If you build it, they will come.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
If I give you five dollars a week, you'll have over $250 by the end of the year.
All those are grammatically correct and clear (even the one with ain't, which I threw in for a grin.).
You can easily answer this backwards.
Consider
I will go, if you go.
I can simply flip it and say
If you go, I will go
I don't see myself obligated to write "then" in the second sentence!
If that is true, then I should have "then" in the first sentence, too!
Your teacher is probably trying to come up with a reason why he took points off.
You. He/she is just being pedantic.