WAEC - English Language (2002 - No. 55)
From the words or group of words lettered A to D, choose the word or group of words that best completes each of the following sentences:
But for the timely intervention of the police, the kidnapper........by the angry mob.
But for the timely intervention of the police, the kidnapper........by the angry mob.
will be lynched
would have been lynched
would be lynched
will have been lynched
Giải thích
"Would have been lynched" is the correct conditional structure for expressing a hypothetical situation in the past. It indicates that the lynching did not actually occur, thanks to the timely intervention of the police. Options A, C, and D either do not fit the grammatical structure for expressing a past hypothetical situation or do not convey the intended meaning appropriately. Therefore, option B, "would have been lynched," is the most suitable choice.