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Question

Difficulty: MediumVerbs, Tenses, and Aspect

Complete the sentence below by filling in the blank with the correct subjunctive form of the verb in parentheses.

Answer:The newly appointed diplomat spoke during the press briefing as though she 【were】 (be) already the head of the international mission.

Answer

were
The expression 'as though' introduces a hypothetical or contrary-to-fact clause. Standard English grammar for JAMB UTME requires the past subjunctive verb form 'were' for all person and number subjects when expressing an unreal state.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the clause structure and conjunction
The clause is introduced by the conjunction 'as though', which sets up a hypothetical or counterfactual comparison.
The context specifies that the diplomat is not actually the head of the mission, rendering the statement unreal.
2
Determine the appropriate grammatical mood and verb form
In formal English, counterfactual comparisons after 'as though' or 'as if' require the past subjunctive form 'were' for all subjects.
The past subjunctive 'were' expresses hypothetical or contrary-to-fact conditions regardless of whether the subject ('she') is singular.

Key Concept

Subjunctive Mood in Unreal/Counterfactual Comparisons
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Verbs, Tenses, and Aspect

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