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Difficulty: HardVerb Tense, Aspect, and Mood

Complete the passage below with the form of the verb 'abandon' that correctly completes the sentence to conform to the conventions of Standard English. What is the correct form of the verb 'abandon'?

Answer:Although modern climate researchers rely on sophisticated supercomputers, they would have lacked the necessary mathematical framework to simulate complex greenhouse feedback loops if climatologist Syukuro Manabe 【had abandoned】 his pioneering computer models of the global atmosphere in 1969. Fortunately, he persevered, and his early simulation successfully demonstrated the fundamental physics of climate sensitivity.

Answer

had abandoned
The sentence establishes a past counterfactual conditional (third conditional) as indicated by the main clause verb phrase 'would have lacked'. In standard English, the conditional clause ('if' clause) of a past counterfactual sentence must use the past perfect tense ('had' + past participle). Therefore, the past perfect form 'had abandoned' is correct.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence structure and locate the conditional clause.
The sentence contains a conditional clause introduced by 'if': 'if climatologist Syukuro Manabe {{blank_1}} his pioneering computer models...'
Identifying the conditional framework determines which tense and mood rules apply.
2
Examine the main clause to determine the temporal framework and conditional type.
The main clause uses the past counterfactual construction 'would have lacked', indicating a third (past) conditional scenario.
The main clause's tense establishes that the condition is an unreal event in the past.
3
Apply the appropriate verb tense for the conditional clause in a third conditional sentence.
A third conditional requires the past perfect tense ('had' + past participle) in the 'if'-clause to match the 'would have' + past participle in the main clause. The past perfect of 'abandon' is 'had abandoned'.
This maintains grammatical consistency and correctly conveys the past counterfactual meaning.

Key Concept

Verb Tense, Aspect, and Mood
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Verb Tense, Aspect, and Mood

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