Question

Find the part of the sentence that contains an error:

Were he to have responded promptly (1)/ the crisis could have been (2)/ averted far earlier than it ultimately was (3)/ saving valuable diplomatic capital. (4)

• A. (1)
• B. (2)
• C. (3)
• D. (4)

Answer 1

Answer:

A. (1)

• This is a third conditional sentence dealing with a past, unfulfilled event. • The inverted structure for a past condition is Had he responded promptly (equivalent to If he had responded promptly). • The phrasing "Were he to have responded" mixes up a second conditional frame with a perfect infinitive and sounds deeply awkward/incorrect in standard grammar.