GATE EC 2017 Set 1 — Question 57

MCQ+2 / -0.67EasyEnglish Grammar (Tenses, Articles, Prepositions, Conjunctions)Verbal AptitudeGeneral Aptitude

General Aptitude → Verbal Aptitude → English Grammar (Tenses, Articles, Prepositions, Conjunctions)

Last updated 5 September 2026

Question

I________made arrangements had I________ informed earlier.

Correct answer (A) could have, been Solution The sentence follows the structure of a third conditional with an inverted 'if' clause. 1. The standard third conditional structure is: If + past perfect, would/could/might + have + past participle . 2. When the 'if' clause is inverted, it becomes: Had + subject + past participle, would/could/might + have + past participle . Applying this to the sentence: Main clause: "I could have made arrangements..." Inverted 'if' clause: "...had I been informed earlier." Option (A) correctly provides the modal perfect 'could have' for the first blank and the past participle 'been' for the second blank to complete the passive voice construction. Turn this into a strength. Explore AI-powered practice and doubt support with Success Tracker.

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Correct answer (A) could have, been Solution The sentence follows the structure of a third conditional with an inverted 'if' clause. 1. The standard third conditional structure is: If + past perfect, would/could/might + have + past participle . 2. When the 'if' clause is inverted, it becomes: Had + subject + past participle, would/could/might + have + past participle . Applying this to the sentence: Main clause: "I could have made arrangements..." Inverted 'if' clause: "...had I been informed earlier." Option (A) correctly provides the modal perfect 'could have' for the first blank and the past participle 'been' for the second blank to complete the passive voice construction.

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