Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank No.2.

Comprehension:

In the following passage some words have been deleted. Fill in the blanks with the help of the alternatives given. Select the most appropriate option for each blank.

Plants first appeared on earth 400 million years ago. Insects arrived 100 million years later. Ever (1)______ a fierce war has raged between the two. At first it (2)______ not seem likely that the plants would stand (3)______ chance in the battle. Plants, unlike insects, cannot move. Plants are (4)______ outnumbered by insects; an average oak tree will have tens of thousands of insects (5)______ on it.

Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank No.2.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

Explanation

The correct answer is Option 1 i.e. did.

Concept/Grammar rules

Application

Use of ‘would’ in the sentence signifies that the sentence is in past form.

Rule: If 1^st sentence is in past indefinite then 2^nd will be of the form ‘would + V1”.

Hence,

First sentence will be in ‘Past indefinite form’.

‘Did’ is the appropriate usage here.

SSC MTS 2019 PYQ — Question 4