If ever there were a graphic illustration of the tragedy of the common

My answer is (A). It took me 01:31.

The first clause uses type 2 conditional to refer to an unlikely or hypothetical condition and its probable result.

(A) It properly employs technicalities of type 2 conditional.

(B) "it is" can be correct if, to the author of the sentence, the plummet in the world’s stocks of bluefin tuna is unambiguously the very graphic illustration of the tragedy of the commons. Without context, we cannot discern whether it is the case. We have to play it safe and choose (A).

(C) "there was" should be "there were". For "it is", see above.

(D) Can we say "it should be"? If the author is of the firm conviction that the graphic illustration of the tragedy of the commons is nothing but the plummeting in the world’s stocks of bluefin tuna, she has the absolute flexibility to opine as such. Without context, we cannot discern whether it is the case. We have to play it safe and choose (A).

(E) "there was" should be "there were". For "it is", see (B).

sentence talks about a hypothetical situation - If ......were..........., ....would ............. so answer should be A
all other choices break the rules

B. if.....were....., ...is.......
C. if.....was....., ...is.......
D. if.....were....., ...should be .......
E. if.....was....., ...is.......

(A) for me. Time taken 01:09.

If one knows the Type 2 conditional, then one can easily mark (A) and move on given that one has understood the meaning completely.

But let's see how someone who doesn't know those "Conditionals" can still reach to the right answer choice.

You can drop (C) and (D) for using "was". The meaning of the sentence is to hypothesize a scenario, thus the usage of "was" is incorrect. "Was" makes it look like an event from the past. If you've got the meaning pinned in your head, your can identify that this tense usage is incorrect.

(B) the structure in this is horrendous. If there ever were..., it is in..... This choice seems to be doing some Dr. Strange stuff, mixing two parallel universes and their timelines.

(D) can be thrown into the bin for its usage of "should". In GMAT world, there are generally two uses of "should"- 1. moral obligation/duty. 2. Probable/possible event. None fits here.

Thus, only (A) remains and looks like the best of the lot. Let's wait for the OA.

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