English Grammar Question: Modals and Infinitive Phrases
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Agricultural innovations of the Green Revolution dramatically increased global crop yields, yet the global population ---- its current magnitude without the development of refrigeration and logistics networks ---- efficient food preservation and distribution. A) ought not to have achieved / ensuring B) could not have achieved / to ensure C) must not achieve / having ensured D) may not achieve / to have ensured E) would not have achieved / to be ensured
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Hi Elif, let's solve this sentence completion question together by analyzing its grammatical structure and meaning.
Sentence Analysis
The first part of the sentence mentions that ‘Agricultural innovations of the Green Revolution dramatically increased global crop yields.’ This is a fact about the past.
Context: Historical fact about the Green Revolution.
Now look at the main clause: ‘yet the global population blank its current magnitude...’ Here, the sentence expresses a hypothetical condition in the past about how population growth was possible.
The word 'without' indicates a conditional meaning, specifically a Type 3 conditional which talks about impossible or hypothetical past situations. We need a past modal.
Conditional Clause (Type 3)
- Structure: would / could / might + have + V3
- Meaning: Hypothetical past result.
Let's check the options for the first blank. 'Could not have achieved' and 'would not have achieved' fit this hypothetical past meaning perfectly. 'Must not achieve' and 'may not achieve' are present or future focused, so we can discard C and D.
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