JAMB 2018 English Language · Question 51

If it had rained, we would have had to postpone the concert. It didn't rain, so …

Question

Choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fill(s) the gap. If it had rained, we would have had to postpone the concert. It didn't rain, so ____________

A.we won't have to
B.we would have had to
C.we wouldn't have to
D.we didn't have to

Answer: D. we didn't have to

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Step 1: Analyze the question The sentence is a third conditional: "If it had rained, we would have had to postpone the concert." It describes an unreal past situation. The second sentence, "It didn't rain, so ____," asks what actually happened as a result.

Step 2: Explain the concept

The third conditional (if + past perfect, would have + past participle) imagines a past event that did not happen.
The follow-up sentence states the real past fact. Since it is real, it uses the simple past tense.
Real fact: it did not rain, so the concert was not postponed, which means we did not have to postpone it.

Step 3: Test the options

A. we won't have to is future tense. The event is already over, so this is wrong.
B. we would have had to repeats the unreal condition. That contradicts "It didn't rain," so this is wrong.
C. we wouldn't have to is a present or future hypothetical, so it does not fit a past situation.
D. we didn't have to is simple past and states the real outcome. This fits.

Step 4: Answer The complete sentence reads: "It didn't rain, so we didn't have to postpone the concert.

Tip: When a conditional sentence is followed by "It didn't...", "so...", the second sentence gives the real result. Use the simple past for what actually happened, and save "would have" for what only might have happened.

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