Choose the most appropriate alternative from the options given below to complete the following sentence:
If the tired soldier wanted to lie down, he ___ the mattress out on the balcony.
A. should take B. shall take C. should have taken D. will have taken
GATE 2012 · General Aptitude · Tenses · medium
Answer: A. should take
Identify the conditional type: The if-clause uses 'wanted' (past simple), indicating a Type 2 conditional. The main clause should therefore use modal + base verb (not modal + perfect infinitive).
Choose between 'should take' and 'shall take': 'Shall' with third-person 'he' is archaic or overly formal and not used in a conditional advice context in modern English. 'Should take' naturally expresses what the soldier ought to do given the condition — it matches both the grammar and the advisory meaning.
Confirm the answer: 'If the tired soldier wanted to lie down, he should take the mattress out on the balcony.' — grammatically correct Type 2 conditional with appropriate advisory meaning.