Question

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option.
If you ____ your money carelessly, you wouldn't have been penniless in the middle of your holiday.

• A. hadn't spent
• B. didn't spend
• C. haven't spent
• D. wouldn't spent

Answer 1

The correct option is A hadn't spent

The given sentence is in the form of the third conditional. The third conditional talks about the past. It is used to describe a situation that didn't happen, and to imagine the result of this situation. Its structure is given below.

if + past perfect,.....would + have + past participle

From the above structure, we can conclude that the answer must have a past perfect form(auxiliary 'had' + past participle).

Option A is correct. 'hadn't spent' is in the past perfect form. Thus, it meets the required condition and is the correct answer.

Option B is incorrect. 'didn't spend' is in the simple past form and not the past perfect form. Thus, it does not fit in the sentence.

Option C is incorrect. 'haven't spent' is in the present perfect form and not the past perfect form. Thus, it does not fit in the sentence.

Option D is incorrect. 'wouldn't spent' is in the simple past form and not the past perfect form. Further, it is grammatically incorrect as a past participle(spent) can only be used in perfect tenses. Thus, it does not fit in the sentence.