If he were here, it could be more fun

Analyze the question: The sentence "If he were here, it could be more fun" is a second conditional (unreal or contrary-to-fact situation). It tells us that he is not here, and that because of this the fun is less than it could be.

Concept: "If + were" expresses an imaginary or unreal present situation. It means the opposite is true: he is not here. "Could be more fun" means the occasion has some fun, but not as much as it would with him.

Evaluate the options:

• A. He did not show up and so the occasion lacked much fun. This matches: he is absent, and the fun is limited ("lacked much fun", not "no fun"). ✔
• B. He was being expected to supply more fun. This says nothing about his absence, and the sentence does not say he was expected to supply fun. ✘
• C. There was no fun because he was not present. This is too extreme. The sentence says the occasion could be more fun, not that there was no fun. ✘
• D. He was expected but did not show up to liven up the occasion. This adds that he was expected, which the sentence never states. ✘

Answer: A. It captures the two ideas in the sentence: he is absent, and the occasion is less fun than it would be if he were present.

Tip: In "If + were" sentences, always reverse the meaning: "If he were here" means "he is not here." Then watch for extreme words like "no" or "none" in options. They are often traps when the original sentence uses a comparison such as "more fun."