I can hardly imagine Peter _________ across the Atlantic Ocean in five days.

[sitifan]

I can hardly imagine Peter _________ across the Atlantic Ocean in five days.
(A) sail
(B) to sail
(C) sailing
(D) to have sailed

[The National College Entrance Examination, 1991]

The answer is option C. Is option D also acceptable to native speakers?

 

[tedmc]

No, "imagine" has to be followed by a noun/gerund phrase.

 

[Tarheel]

More. (See below.)

I can hardly imagine Peter winning that tennis tournament.

I can hardly imagine Peter eating so much.

I can hardly imagine Peter being so rude.

I can hardly imagine Peter losing so much weight.

I can hardly imagine Peter gaining so much weight.

I can hardly imagine Peter going to bed so early.

I can hardly imagine Peter getting up so late.

I can hardly imagine Peter working so hard.

 

[jutfrank]

I'm not entirely sure that imagine someone to have done something is ungrammatical. Still, the correct answer is C.

 

[sitifan]

I can hardly imagine Peter being so rude.

The structure "imagine someone to be" seems possible.
I imagined her to be older.
I imagined your daughter to be all grown up now.
Imagine yourself (to be) on a desert island.