Choose the correct verbal combination for the mixed conditional structure:
If Professor Tan ________ such a meticulous researcher, she ________ such an embarrassing oversight in the published monograph.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. were; would not have made
Answer: were; would not have made. Why not the others: 'had been; would not make' sets up a past condition with a present result, which inverts the cause-and-effect timeline; 'was; will not make' uses indicative past and future modal 'will'; 'is; had not made' is syntactically invalid.
- Step 1: Analyze the temporal logic: Professor Tan's character trait (meticulousness) is an ongoing general attribute, while the oversight occurred during the past publication process.
- Step 2: A present enduring counterfactual trait ('were') combined with a past counterfactual result ('would not have made') forms a mixed conditional.
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