Parrots: wish e if only (B2)

The grey parrot is among the most intelligent animals ever studied in a laboratory, capable of using words referentially rather than by imitation alone. It is also among the most heavily trafficked. Trappers take chicks from nest holes in trees that took a century to grow, and a large proportion die before reaching a buyer. If only the trade ___ how much damage it was doing while wild populations were still large, regulation might have arrived in time; instead protection came after numbers in several West African countries had collapsed. Captive breeding supplies part of the market now, but a parrot may live sixty years, outliving the person who bought it, and rescue centres are full of birds surrendered by families who never expected a lifelong dependant.

Fonte: English for ALL (texto original).

Assinale a alternativa que completa corretamente a lacuna do texto.

A) has admitted
B) would have admitted
C) had admitted
D) will admit
E) were admitting

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Resposta correta: C

"If only" funciona como "wish" e, para lamentar algo que não aconteceu no passado, pede o past perfect. O resto do período confirma a referência passada, tanto pelo resultado hipotético "might have arrived" quanto pela informação de que a proteção só veio depois do colapso das populações. "Would have admitted" não é usado depois de if only para lamentar o passado, construção reservada a would + infinitivo em queixas sobre o comportamento alheio. "Has admitted" e "will admit" descrevem fatos reais no presente e no futuro, e "were admitting" indicaria uma situação irreal presente.

Parrots: wish e if only (B2)

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