In the question below, choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined:

Had she known he was a highway robber she would not have married him. This means

  • A she married him before she knew he was a robber
  • B she knew he was a robber when she married him
  • C she did not marry him because she was a robber
  • D she refused to marry the man when she knew he was a robbers
  • E she was a robber marrying a highway robber
jamb 1983english-language

The correct answer is A. she married him before she knew he was a robber

Let's think step-by-step about what this sentence is saying:

  • It uses the past perfect "had she known" to talk about something that didn't happen
  • It says "she would not have married him" if she knew something
  • That something is "he was a highway robber".

Putting it all together, the sentence means that she married him without knowing he was a robber beforehand.

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