Choose the option that best complete the gap (s) Usman would have won the race.....

Analyze the question The sentence is "Usman would have won the race..." The structure "would have + past participle" is the main clause of a third conditional (unreal past condition). We need the matching "if" clause.

Explain the concept Third conditional:

• If + past perfect (had + past participle), would have + past participle
• It talks about something that did not happen in the past and its imagined result.
• Example: If she had studied, she would have passed.

Solution: test each option

• A. only if he could run fast: "could run" is not past perfect, and "only if" changes the meaning. Wrong structure.
• B. if he had run fast: "if + had run" is past perfect, which correctly pairs with "would have won". ✔
• C. if he can run faster: Present tense does not fit a past-unreal result. ✘
• D. although he ran fast: "Although" creates a contrast, which makes the sentence illogical, since running fast would not normally stop him from winning. ✘

Answer: Option B. "Usman would have won the race if he had run fast."

Exam tip When you see "would have + past participle" in the main clause, look for "if + had + past participle" in the other clause. Memorize it as: "If had, would have."