Which of the following phrases given below each sentence should replace the phrase printed in bold letters to make the sentence grammatically correct? Choose the best option among the five given alternatives that reflect the correct use of phrase in the context of the grammatically correct sentence. If the sentence is correct as it is, mark (e) i.e., “No correction required” as the answer.

The coup-plotters may have sensed they would get support from the anti-Erdogan masses and the secular political class.

The correct answer is No correction required.

Step-by-Step Explanation:

1. Analyze the original phrase: The phrase in bold is "may have sensed they would get support".

2. Modal Verb Usage: The modal auxiliary verb "may" is followed by the base form of the auxiliary verb "have" (not "has") to express possibility in the past ("may have + past participle"). Thus, "may have sensed" is grammatically correct.

3. Conditional Clause & Noun Usage: "they would get support" correctly uses the modal verb "would" followed by the base verb "get" and the noun "support".

4. Evaluating the Options:

- "may has sensed..." is grammatically incorrect because modal verbs are always followed by the bare infinitive "have", never "has".
- "may have sensed they would get supported" changes the noun "support" to a past participle verb, which distorts the natural structure of the sentence.
- "may have sensed they could get supporting" incorrectly uses the gerund "supporting" instead of the noun "support".

Since the original sentence is already grammatically accurate, meaningful, and clear, no replacement is necessary.