Select the phrase that best completes the following sentence:
They recommended that the windows ____ opened.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → not be
Complete sentence: They recommended that the windows not be opened. This sentence is negative and passive.
| Option | Form and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) had to | "Had to" expresses a past obligation, not a recommendation. "Had to opened" is ungrammatical. It would need "had to be opened". | We had to leave early yesterday. |
| (2) not be (answer) | After verbs such as recommend, suggest, insist, the that-clause takes the base form of the verb. Pattern: that + subject + (not) + base verb
| The doctor recommended that he not be disturbed. |
| (3) ought not to | "Ought not to" gives advice against something. It too needs "be" before "opened" ("ought not to be opened"), which the sentence does not have. | You ought not to shout in the library. |
| (4) should not | "Should not" expresses advice and is possible after recommend. But only as "should not be opened". "Should not opened" is ungrammatical. | You should not skip breakfast. |
Contrast: after "recommend that", the base form follows ("not be opened"). A modal such as "should" also needs "be" ("should not be opened").