After the following sentence, a list of possible interpretations is given. Choose the interpretation that is…

Step 1: Analyze the question The sentence "Had he confessed much earlier, she would have trusted him" is a third conditional (past unreal conditional) written with inversion. "Had he confessed" means "If he had confessed."

Step 2: The concept The third conditional structure is:

• If + past perfect, would have + past participle
• It describes something that did NOT happen in the past, and the result that also did NOT happen.

Rule: the facts are the opposite of what the sentence says.

• "If he had confessed" → he did not confess early.
• "she would have trusted him" → she did not trust him.

Step 3: Check each option

• A. Says he confessed earlier but wasn't trusted. This contradicts the first part, since he did not confess early. Wrong.
• B. Says he confessed early and was trusted. This is the opposite of the real situation. Wrong.
• C. Says he didn't confess early and was trusted. The first part is right, but the result is wrong, since she did not trust him. Wrong.
• D. Says he didn't confess early, and wasn't trusted. Both facts match the reversal of the conditional. Correct.

Step 4: Answer The correct option is D.

Tip: For third conditional sentences (including "Had + subject + past participle" inversions), simply reverse both parts to find the real facts: positive becomes negative and negative becomes positive. "Had he confessed... she would have trusted" becomes "He didn't confess... she didn't trust."