Question

It ____________________ not look like a great deal today, but back then it was a coup: no man before ________________ to import tea directly into Ireland. The option that will best fill the blanks in the above sentences would be:

• A. may, has dared
• B. may, had dared
• C. might, have dared
• D. might, have ever dared
• E. may, ever dared

Hint:

- Use \textbf{present modal verbs} (may, might) for present-day or current impressions.
- Use \textbf{past perfect} (had + past participle) to indicate an action that never happened before a specific point in the past.
- Always check the timeline in the sentence: present clue words ("today") vs. past clue words ("back then," "before").

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: The first blank refers to a situation in the present: "It ______________ not look like a great deal today." This requires the use of the present modal "may," because the sentence is about how the event seems in the present. So, "It may not look like a great deal today" is correct.
Step 2: The second blank refers to a situation in the past: "no man before __________ to import tea directly into Ireland." The appropriate tense here is the past perfect "had dared," because it indicates that before this particular event, no one had previously attempted it. Thus, "no man before had dared" is correct.
Step 3: Putting both together: "It may not look like a great deal today, but back then it was a coup: no man before had dared to import tea directly into Ireland."
Therefore, the correct option is (B) may, had dared.