Improve the bracketed part of the sentence: "If a person (studied) the history of the Maratha empire, he would have wondered how a small warrior tribe could have challenged the mighty Mughals."

Introduction / Context:
This sentence improvement question tests your understanding of conditional sentences and the correct use of past perfect in hypothetical situations. The original sentence is: "If a person (studied) the history of the Maratha empire, he would have wondered how a small warrior tribe could have challenged the mighty Mughals." You must select the form of the verb that fits best in this Type 3 (unreal past) conditional structure.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Clause 1 (if clause): "If a person ___ the history of the Maratha empire".
• Clause 2 (result clause): "he would have wondered how a small warrior tribe could have challenged the mighty Mughals."
• The structure "would have wondered" indicates an unreal or hypothetical situation in the past.
• Options: "has studied", "had studied", "could study", "no improvement", "was studying".

Concept / Approach:
In English grammar, unreal or hypothetical conditions in the past typically use the past perfect in the if clause and "would have" + past participle in the main clause. This is known as the third conditional: "If he had studied, he would have known." Here, "would have wondered" clearly marks the main clause as unreal past. Therefore, the correct form in the if clause must be "had studied". The simple past "studied" is less precise, and "has studied" or "was studying" would break the standard conditional pattern.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise the pattern "would have wondered", which signals a hypothetical result in the past.Step 2: Recall the rule for third conditional sentences: "If + past perfect, would have + past participle."Step 3: Apply this to the sentence: the if clause should be "If a person had studied the history of the Maratha empire".Step 4: Check how it reads: "If a person had studied the history of the Maratha empire, he would have wondered..." This fits the pattern perfectly.Step 5: Eliminate other options that do not match the required tense and aspect.

Verification / Alternative check:
Consider the meaning: the sentence suggests a hypothetical person in the past who did not actually study that history. If he had studied it, he would have reacted with wonder. The past perfect "had studied" clearly signals that the studying would have taken place before the time of wondering. Simple past "studied" is sometimes used casually but is less accurate in formal grammar, especially in exam settings where the rule based pattern is being tested.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• has studied: Present perfect is used for actions with present relevance, not for a purely hypothetical past condition leading to "would have wondered".
• could study: This changes the meaning to an unreal present or future ability, not a completed past action.
• no improvement: Leaves "studied" (simple past) in place; while understandable, it does not match the standard third conditional structure being tested.
• was studying: Past continuous implies an ongoing past action and does not fit with the idea of a completed prior study leading to the reaction of wondering.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often mix second and third conditional structures or overuse simple past in the if clause. Whenever you see "would have + past participle" in the main clause, check whether the if clause refers to an earlier, unreal past event. If so, the safest and most grammatically correct choice is "had + past participle" in the if clause.

Final Answer:
The correct improvement is had studied, giving the sentence: "If a person had studied the history of the Maratha empire, he would have wondered how a small warrior tribe could have challenged the mighty Mughals."