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NDA 2021 GAT · English · Sentence Improvement · hard

If I [would have known] about the delay, I would have left earlier.

Single correct option

Choose the best replacement for the part in square brackets.
If I [would have known] about the delay, I would have left earlier.
  1. A. would have known
  2. B. had known
  3. C. knew
  4. D. have known
Show answer and solution

Answer: (B) had known

This is a third conditional sentence about an unreal past. The 'if' clause takes the past perfect, 'had known', while the main clause takes 'would have'. Using 'would have' in both clauses is a common error, and 'knew' would turn it into a second conditional referring to the present.
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Original question written in the NDA 2021 GAT pattern and checked twice for the correct answer. Not an official question paper. How we write and check questions · Corrections policy · Report a mistake