Question

Fill in the blank with the suitable conjunction from the options given.
__________ you had worked a little harder, you would have passed in your exams$!$

• A. Only
• B. If
• C. Since
• D. When

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

If

We often use 'if' to introduce possible or impossible situations or conditions and their results. In this specific sentence, 'if' is used to introduce the condition or rather situation (not working hard enough) that resulted in the person failing his/her exams. Hence option B is the correct answer.

Option A is an incorrect answer because 'only' is used to mean that 'there is just one or very few of something', or that 'there are no others'. It is used to show that something limited to some people, things, an amount or activity. Furthermore, using this would render the sentence grammatically incorrect.

We use 'since' as a subordinating conjunction to introduce a subordinate clause. We use it to give a reason for something. As we are not referring to the reason for the subject failing in the exam, option C is incorrect.

Option D is incorrect because we use 'when' as a conjunction meaning 'at that time' and this meaning doesn't suit the sentence grammatically or logically.