Use of "in case of" sentence in past

Question

I am wondering whether "in case of" with a verb in the past tense, like "decided," creates a correct expression. For example:

...in case of he decided to reply.

Thank you

Typically, you would say: in case he decided to reply (no of). You might also be interested in checking out English Language Learners. — J.R., Commented Dec 19, 2016 at 23:52
In case of is only used with nouns, like in case of fire, pull alarm handle. When it's used with a verb phrase, like "he decided", use in case like J.R. says. — stangdon, Commented Dec 20, 2016 at 4:52
I agree with @J.R. and stangdon. Meanwhile, you could also use "in case" with nouns. According to this site, the difference is whether or not you are actively preparing for the event mentioned within the "in case." For example, "Bring more bottles (active preparation), in case this bottle breaks (event)." — Teacher KSHuang, Commented Dec 20, 2016 at 9:07

SovereignSun · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-03 10:30:45Z

You can use in case with the Past Simple but you have to follow tense agreement rules.

She took her mobile with her in case he decided to call. (PAST PRECAUTION)
She will take her mobile with her in case he decides to call. (PRESENT PRECAUTION)

Notice that:

In case (conjunction or adverb) - expresses that we are doing something in preparation for something which might happen; in order to be prepared for possible future situations. It is often used before before a pronoun or at the end of a sentence. We don’t use in case to mean if.
- Shall I keep some chicken salad for your brother in case he’s hungry when he gets here? (conjunction)
- In case I forget later, here are the keys to the garage. (conjunction)
- She knows she’s passed the oral exam, but she doesn’t want to say anything just in case. (adverb)
In case of (preposition) - used to say what we should do if or when something happens. It is followed by a noun.
- Use this fire extinguisher in case of fire.
- In case of an error, run this batch file.
- In case of breakdown, please press the alarm button and call this number. (if and when the lift breaks down)

Sources:

rootmeanclaire · Accepted Answer · 2016-12-24 19:30:38Z

0

When followed by an independent clause, the "of" is omitted. So your example would be:

...in case he decided to reply.

The "of" is necessary when the next word or phrase is a noun. (the noun can have describing adjectives)

In case of fire...

If you wanted to use "of" in your example, you could change it to:

...in case of his reply.

answered Dec 24, 2016 at 19:30

rootmeanclaire

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