If he would have revised his first draft he would

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION


• This question presents a Type 3 conditional
→ IF past perfect, THEN perfect conditional
Result (THEN clause): he would have received a better grade
The condition clause (the IF clause) must be: he had revised

→ in the results clause in the nonunderlined portion, the verb is would have received
That tense is called "perfect conditional."
WOULD + HAVE + past participle (verbed)
Don't memorize the jargon.
Remember would have Xed or would have verbED.

→ would have received in the results clause requires IF + PAST PERFECT
→ that is, we need HAD+ PAST PARTICIPLE (verbED)
→ in this context, we need HAD + REVISED

• Type 3 conditional
→ In a type 3 conditional, the sentence describes an unreal past condition and its likely result in the past
→ these sentences typically express missed opportunity or regret

→ A Type 3 conditional is truly hypothetical: now it is too late for either the condition or the result to occur. Type 3 conditionals describe the opposite of what actually happened.
If he had revised his first draft, he would have received a better grade. (But he didn't revise his first grade, and he didn't get a better grade.)

• Split #1: 4-1 Split -- conditional verb

We need IF past perfect (IF + HAD + past participle)
In particular, we need if he had revised his first draft

Options A, C, D, and E do not use had revised.
A) would have revised: not past perfect. The word would never appears in an IF clause. Verb tense is identical to the results clause, but that situation occurs only in zero conditionals. (See **footnote.)
C) could of revised: not past perfect. Could OF is not a thing. Could HAVE is the correct way to say this phrase, but the phrase itself is not correct in this context.
D) were to revise: not past perfect. That construction is used for a hypothetical Type 2 conditional. See footnote.
E) would revise: not past perfect. The word would never appears in an IF clause.
ELIMINATE A, C, D, and E

The answer is B.
If he had revised his first draft, he would have received a better grade.
The verb phrase had received is in the past perfect tense.

COMMENTS

Good to see everyone.
This question is a hard one to "explain" because conditionals follow fairly lockstep rules, but you all did an excellent job.

If you explain a decent bit, you get kudos.

**Conditionals
• Condensed overview (make a flashcard!)
Zero conditional: IF simple present, THEN simple present
Type 1: IF simple present, THEN simple future
Type 2: IF simple past, THEN present conditional
Type 3: IF past perfect, THEN perfect conditional

These things? You just have to memorize them.

• Conditionals, explained a little

Zero conditional: general truths, scientific facts
IF simple present, THEN simple present
If X happens, then Y happens.
If you freeze water, it expands.

Type 1 conditional: possible condition and its probable result
IF simple present, THEN simple future
If X happens, then Y will happen.
If you do not slow down, you will get a speeding ticket.

Type 2 conditional: Hypothetical condition and its probable result
IF simple past, THEN present conditional
If X were to happen, then Y would happen.
If I were you, I would get the vaccine.
OR
If X happened, then Y would happen.
If I remembered his name, I would go over there and talk to him.

Type 3 conditional: Unreal past condition and its probable result in the past (but neither thing happened)
IF past perfect, THEN perfect conditional.
If X had happened, THEN Y would have happened.
If he had slept more than two hours, he would have performed better on the test.