Question

Which of the options given below best completes the following sentence?
If Somu had studied well, _____________________.

• A. he will score more marks
• B. he would score more marks
• C. he would have scored more marks
• D. he had scored more marks

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

he would have scored more marks

The given sentence is a type 3 conditional, as the if-clause is in past perfect tense 'had studied'.

The type 3 conditional has the following structure:

if-clause 'past perfect tense' + main clause 'perfect conditional'

where the if-clause 'if Somu had studied well' expresses an unreal past condition and the main clause expresses its probable past result 'to score more marks'.

Option C: 'He would have scored more marks' is a perfect conditional that agrees with a type 3 structure.

Hence, option C is correct.

Option A: 'He will score more marks' states a future action. But a type 3 conditional states a past condition.

Option B: 'He would score...' is a present conditional, seen in type 2 and not type 3 conditionals.

Option D: 'He had scored...' is in simple past tense and does not express a probable result, but an action that actually happened.

Hence, options A, B and D are wrong.