Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one.
1If the board had acted on the warning last year, the company ............... such intense scrutiny now.
Wrong!
The condition refers to an unreal past cause with a present result, so the mixed conditional needs "would not be facing".
2I wish the data ............... still available, because we need to rerun the analysis today.
Wrong!
The cue 'still' points to an unreal present situation, so the wish takes the past subjunctive form "were".
3Had the committee seen the revised figures yesterday, it ............... the proposal.
Wrong!
The time marker 'yesterday' requires a counterfactual past result, so the correct form is "would have approved".
4He speaks about the apartment as if he ............... it, but he is only renting it.
Wrong!
For an unreal comparison, 'as if' is followed by a past form, so the sentence needs "owned".
5I would rather ............... my name in the negotiations tomorrow.
Wrong!
After 'would rather' with a different subject, English uses a past form for a present or future preference, so the answer is "you did not mention".
6If only the consultant ............... interrupting everyone during tomorrow's meeting.
Wrong!
With 'if only', "would stop" expresses a strong wish for someone else to change a repeated annoying behaviour.
7............... the emergency loan, the research programme would have collapsed before the trial began.
Wrong!
A counterfactual result with 'would have collapsed' is introduced by "But for", meaning 'if it had not been for'.
8If she had known how the emails would be used, she ............... at the time.
Wrong!
The phrase 'at the time' and the counterfactual condition require past modal perfect, so the correct choice is "might have resigned".
9Suppose the regulator ............... the merger next month; what contingency plan would we announce?
Wrong!
In a formal hypothetical about a possible future event, 'Suppose' can take "were to reject".
10If we ............... more reliable evidence at present, we could challenge the decision immediately.
Wrong!
The visible cue 'at present' makes the condition unreal in the present, so the correct form is "had".
11............... the minister to resign, the coalition would probably call an early election.
Wrong!
In the formal inverted conditional, the subjunctive form is "were" before 'the minister to resign'.
12We encrypted the documents before sending them; ............... they would have been exposed during the breach.
Wrong!
The second clause means 'if we had not done that', so the correct connector is "otherwise".
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- If the board had acted on the warning last year, the company would not be facing such intense scrutiny now.
- I wish the data were still available, because we need to rerun the analysis today.
- Had the committee seen the revised figures yesterday, it would have approved the proposal.
- He speaks about the apartment as if he owned it, but he is only renting it.
- I would rather you did not mention my name in the negotiations tomorrow.
- If only the consultant would stop interrupting everyone during tomorrow’s meeting.
- But for the emergency loan, the research programme would have collapsed before the trial began.
- If she had known how the emails would be used, she might have resigned at the time.
- Suppose the regulator were to reject the merger next month; what contingency plan would we announce?
- If we had more reliable evidence at present, we could challenge the decision immediately.
- were the minister to resign, the coalition would probably call an early election.
- We encrypted the documents before sending them; otherwise they would have been exposed during the breach.