if i were, and parallel construction. C

Again i got it wrong...i should have thought of this subjunctive mood type questions.... the answer is rightfully C
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Answer is C...
1. If... were construction.
2. parallelism Eat, Relax, Buff..

If a latter-day Robinson Crusoe was marooned on an island with an eclectic mix of palms, he could eat dates and coconut meat, relax in a palm recliner in his palm-post bungalow under a palm-thatch roof, buff his palm-plank surfboard with carnauba palm wax and watch a palm-fringed sunset.

(A) If a latter-day Robinson Crusoe was marooned on an island with an eclectic mix of palms, he could eat dates and coconut meat, relax in a palm recliner in his palm-post bungalow under a palm-thatch roof, "was" is wrong as it is a subjunctive mood, so were should be used
(B) If a latter-day Robinson Crusoe was marooned on an island with an eclectic mix of palms, he could eat dates and coconut meat, relaxing in a palm recliner in his palm-post bungalow under a palm-thatch roof, "was" is wrong as it is a subjunctive mood,so were should be used. "relaxing" breaks parallelism
(C) If a latter-day Robinson Crusoe were marooned on an island with an eclectic mix of palms, he could eat dates and coconut meat, relax in a palm recliner in his palm-post bungalow under a palm-thatch roof, mood and parallelism looks fine
(D) If a latter-day Robinson Crusoe were marooned on an island with an eclectic mix of palms, he could eat dates and coconut meat, relaxing in a palm recliner in his palm-post bungalow under a palm-thatch roof, "relaxing" breaks parallelism
(E) If a latter-day Robinson Crusoe was marooned on an island with an eclectic mix of palms, he could eat dates and coconut meat, to relax in a palm recliner in his palm-post bungalow under a palm-thatch roof, "was" is wrong as it is a subjunctive mood, so were should be used. "to relax" breaks parallelism

In unreal condition, the past tense form of verb be is always WERE. It can NEVER be was.



If a latter-day Robinson Crusoe was marooned on an island with an eclectic mix of palms, he could eat dates and coconut meat, relax in a palm recliner in his palm-post bungalow under a palm-thatch roof, buff his palm-plank surfboard with carnauba palm wax and watch a palm-fringed sunset.

(A) If a latter-day Robinson Crusoe was marooned on an island with an eclectic mix of palms, he could eat dates and coconut meat, relax in a palm recliner in his palm-post bungalow under a palm-thatch roof, >>>> WRONG

(B) If a latter-day Robinson Crusoe was marooned on an island with an eclectic mix of palms, he could eat dates and coconut meat, relaxing in a palm recliner in his palm-post bungalow under a palm-thatch roof, >>>> WRONG

(C) If a latter-day Robinson Crusoe were marooned on an island with an eclectic mix of palms, he could eat dates and coconut meat, relax in a palm recliner in his palm-post bungalow under a palm-thatch roof, >>>> CORRECT

(D) If a latter-day Robinson Crusoe were marooned on an island with an eclectic mix of palms, he could eat dates and coconut meat, relaxing in a palm recliner in his palm-post bungalow under a palm-thatch roof, >>>> WRONG

(E) If a latter-day Robinson Crusoe was marooned on an island with an eclectic mix of palms, he could eat dates and coconut meat, to relax in a palm recliner in his palm-post bungalow under a palm-thatch roof, >>>> WRONG

Hope it helps.
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