Direction: In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the underlined part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select "No Improvement".

If I did ask my mother, she would have made something to eat.

The correct answer is If I had asked my mother.

Key Points

• Conditional sentences describe a situation that must exist before something else can happen.
• The given sentence is an example of past conditional, which is used when something did not happen because a certain condition was not fulfilled.
  • It follows the structure: if + subject + had + V3 + object, subject + would + have + V3
  • Example: If I had completed my project, I would have helped you in making yours.
• According to the rule and the example that is given above, 'If I had asked my mother' will be used in the underlined part of the sentence.
   

Correct sentence - If I had asked my mother, she would have made something to eat.  

Additional Information

• In the given sentence, 'If I had asked my mother' means 'I had not asked my mother'. 
• 'If' can also be replaced with 'had' in such sentences and the meaning of the sentence will remain the same.   
• The structure followed is: had + subject + V3 + object, subject + would + have + V3       
  • ​Example: If I had seen him, I would have given him a lift in my car.

                                     Had I seen him, I would have given him a lift in my car.