A child could not have done this mischief.a)This mischief could not be...
The correct answer is option C:
This mischief could not have been done by a child.
Explanation:
To determine the correct sentence structure, we need to understand the meaning of the sentence. The sentence implies that the mischief was done by someone other than a child.
Let's analyze each option:
A:
This mischief could not be done by a child.
- This sentence is grammatically correct and conveys the intended meaning. However, it does not use the past perfect tense, which is necessary to indicate that the mischief was already done.
B:
This mischief could not been done by a child.
- This option is grammatically incorrect because it does not use the auxiliary verb "have" before the past participle "been."
C:
This mischief could not have been done by a child.
- This sentence is grammatically correct and conveys the intended meaning. It uses the past perfect tense by combining "could not have" and "been done."
D:
This mischief a child could not have been done.
- This option is grammatically incorrect as it places the subject "a child" in the wrong position within the sentence.
Therefore, option C is the correct answer as it uses the correct past perfect tense and effectively conveys the meaning that the mischief could not have been done by a child.