This question was a Error ID on a recent exam:
(Had) she left (much later), Maria (would have been) (late) for the party. (No error)
You don’t know when the party starts. There can be cases that make B correct, and cases in which B is not the right choice.
Say that it’s now 4:00 pm and maria’s party starts at 5:00 pm. She must leave NOW; if she leaves ANY LATER, she will be late.
Say that it’s now 1:00 pm and maria’s party starts at 5:00pm. Only if she leaves MUCH LATER than now, will she be late.
I put E BTW, but I think this one is unfair.
It has to be (E) because the conditional “had she left” matches “would have been late” perfectly, @joeweller
Would it be correct to read the sentence as if it read: "If she had left much later, Maria would have been late for the party. ? If so, does that help make decoding it easier?
much later sounds wrong. I believe it should be “any later”
“Had she left much later” is just another way of writing “if she had left much later.” Familiarize yourself with conditional/subjunctive verb mood posthaste! Nothing is wrong with “much later.”