Here"If" is used with present perfect tense while what I have studied
If can be used only with
1. present simple
2. simple past
3. past perfect
Kindly help in understanding this sentence

GMATNinja A lot has been said about conditionals here, and i got all the rules.
What i am not able to do that is identify XXX and YYY in the structure If XXX, then YYY

This is a good reminder that language is fluid - you don't want to be so rigid in your expectations that a simple structural change ruins your ability to tackle a question.

Typically, the If/then structure will contain the "if" clause first. For example, "If I forget to wear pants to the opera, my wife will pretend she does not know me." But it's perfectly legitimate to flip the order and write, "My wife will pretend she does not know me if I forget to wear pants to the opera."

The same is true in the OA for this question. The "then" clause comes first: "Workers cannot be laid off if they have been given reason to believe that their jobs will be safe." This is, for all intents and purposes, the same as "If they have been given reason to believe that their jobs will be safe, workers cannot be laid off."

The takeaway: do not try to memorize dozens and dozens of structures and then expect to see those structures in a form that resembles what you memorized! Yes, some rules are worth internalizing, but ultimately, you need to use context and logic, while remaining flexible enough to adapt to a variety of scenarios. Some related ideas can be found in this article.

I hope that helps!
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DmitryFarber

Thank you for eligantly describing the usage of if- conditional.

I have a doubt. Here shouldn't the "will" be in the main clause.


I will work, if you are happy.
The placement of will is in the main clause and the if conditional is used in the dependant clause.

Shouldn't the same case be here?

A recent court decision has qualified a 1998 ruling that workers /cannot/"will" not be laid off if they have been given reason to believe xyz.

Besides, can have been treated in the same manner as "are" for the use of conditional?

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MagooshExpert

In the correct answer choice "If - then" construction, present perfect has been used in the "if" part.

I went over MGMAT and E-gmat and there are no examples used showing present perfect in the "if" section.

Please help

Thank you

"for doing" is hard.
it normally modifies a noun as in
a pen for writing.
if it is used to modify a clause by showing the purpose of clause, it is a gerund, which refers to a general action not an action of a specific noun in the sentence.

he learn gmat for the learning of this university. \

so, choice b is unclear of who do "believing".

"to do' is used to show the purpose of the preceding clause. in this case, the agent of "to do" is the subject of the main clause.
so, in choice A, "they", workers, do "to believe" . this is correct.

having done is correct only when it is followed or preceded by a comma, being an adverbial. having done can not touch (without comma) a noun. this is wrong. this is hard and fast rule and you can eliminate this phrase without considering meaning problems.

thank you expert, your explanation is great. I want to make it more clear.

I want to summarize

if we want to say about hypothetical things, which could not be happen, we use
if did, would do
if had done, would have done, this is in the past

if we say about truth
if do, do
if water reach 100 degree, it boil

if we want to say something could happen
if do, will do

gmat test the split between do and will do and split between will do and would do. just remember simple following

"do" is a fact
"will do" is something possible
"would do/would have done is something impossible.

(A) if they have been given reason to believe that their jobs will - Correct

(B) if they are given reason for believing that their jobs would still - Wrong: 1) Idiom 2) Verb

(C) having been given reason for believing that their jobs would - Wrong: 1) Idiom 2) Verb

(D) having been given reason to believe their jobs to - Wrong: 1) Meaning

(E) given reason to believe that their jobs will still - Wrong: 1) Meaning

This is a conditional statement. The intended meaning is to say that IF workers have been assured that their job is safe, THEN they can not be fired. Hence, we need IF statement. Hence, C, D, and E are out.

I also noticed a split: "for believing" or "to believe". The correct idiom is to use an indicative form of the verb when the intention is to show a purpose or reasoning. Hence, "reason to believe" is correct. Hence, B is also out.

(Most of the posts here have correctly pointed out invalid use of "would" in B. However, even if this rule is unclear to you, noticing the split for/to believing/believe will lead you to the correct answer - A).

But how is the "then-clause" in choice A using "will/shall"
i get that the if clause clause is "present perfect" but in the "then clause", we have "workers cannot be laid off" is "WHAT TENSE" ?

Please someone help.

Hi,
very helpful explanation. Just one follow up:

In the part "If they have been given reason to believe that their jobs will be safe, workers cannot be laid off" can you point me to what the "then clause" is ?

Appreciaite the help. Many thanks.