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Question

Difficulty: Very hardModal Auxiliaries and Expressing Modality

Complete the sentence below by filling in the blank space with the correct modal auxiliary phrase that expresses a past preference or unfulfilled choice.

Answer:The managing director revealed during the press briefing that he 【would rather have had】 the emergency restructuring plan approved by the board last month instead of waiting for the financial crisis to escalate.

Answer

would rather have had (or would rather have)
The modal phrase 'would rather have had' (or 'would rather have') correctly conveys an unfulfilled preference concerning a past period ('last month'). When 'would rather' is followed by 'have' and a past participle, it signifies that the speaker preferred a different past course of action than the one that actually took place.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence context and temporal aspect
The action refers to a preference regarding a past event ('last month') that did not occur as preferred ('instead of waiting for the financial crisis to escalate').
Identifying the time frame and modality required for an unfulfilled past preference.
2
Apply the appropriate modal auxiliary structure for past preference
The structure 'would rather have + past participle' (or 'would rather have had' when referring to possessing/obtaining approval) correctly expresses a preference about the past that was not realized.
Differentiating present/future preference ('would rather + bare infinitive') from past unfulfilled preference ('would rather have + past participle').

Key Concept

Modal Expressions of Past Preference and Unfulfilled Intentions
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Topics

Modal Auxiliaries and Expressing Modality

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