The new steam powered and mechanized farm equipment ____ the work easi...
The correct answer is D: might have made.
Explanation:
The sentence states that the new steam-powered and mechanized farm equipment made the work easier, but they couldn't get it to work. Here, we are discussing a hypothetical situation where the equipment could have made the work easier, but it didn't. To convey this meaning, we need to use a conditional phrase in the past tense.
Let's analyze the given options:
A: was able to make - This option is grammatically incorrect as it uses the simple past tense ("was") instead of the conditional phrase.
B: can't have made - This option uses the present tense ("can't") instead of the conditional phrase, making it grammatically incorrect.
C: didn't have to make - This option suggests that there was no need to make the equipment, which is not what the sentence implies. It is grammatically incorrect as it doesn't convey the intended meaning.
D: might have made - This option uses the conditional phrase ("might have") in the past tense, which accurately conveys the hypothetical situation where the equipment could have made the work easier. This is the correct answer.
E: had better make - This option implies a suggestion or advice, which is not suitable in the context of the sentence. It is grammatically incorrect and doesn't convey the intended meaning.
Therefore, the correct answer is D: might have made.
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