Fill in the blank with the correct modal.
We _____ flying to Moscow now if we had bought the tickets in time.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → would be
Complete sentence: We would be flying to Moscow now if we had bought the tickets in time. The if-part “if we had bought the tickets” is about the past, and it did not happen. The clue word “now” puts the result in the present.
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) should have been | what was expected in the past. It does not fit with “now”, which shows the present. | The train should have been here an hour ago. |
| (2) would be (answer) | would + verb for a present result of a past condition (mixed conditional) | If Ravi had saved money last year, he would be living in his own flat today. |
| (3) need to be | a necessity. It cannot show what would happen as a result of the if-part. | We need to be at the station by six. |
| (4) must have been | a sure guess about the past. A guess does not go with an if-part that did not happen. | The roads are wet, so it must have been raining. |