Fill in the blank with the correct modal:
This venture ______ go out of business soon if it doesn't work towards increasing its competitiveness in the market.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → might
Complete sentence: This venture might go out of business soon if it doesn't work towards increasing its competitiveness in the market. Closing down is a possible result if the venture does not become more competitive, so "might go out of business" fits the condition "if it doesn't work towards ...".
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) should | Should expresses duty or advice, or a normal, expected result. "This venture should go out of business" would sound as if closing down were the right or expected course, not a risk the venture runs if it fails to compete. | You should drink plenty of water in summer. |
| (2) won't | Won't (will not) denies the result, but a business that fails to become competitive is in danger of closing, not safe from it. | Don't worry, I won't be late. |
| (3) might (answer) | Might expresses possibility: something may happen, but it is not certain. | Take an umbrella; it might rain in the evening. |
| (4) used to | Used to describes a past habit or state. It cannot go with "soon", which points to the future. | We used to play cricket in this field. |
Note: In the original NTA paper, Option 4 read "will". NTA accepted this option as a correct answer as well. To leave only one correct answer and avoid confusion for students, it has been changed here to "used to".
Advice for the exam: In the real exam, mark the answer that is grammatically or factually correct. If NTA’s provisional answer key marks a different option, challenge it during the answer-key challenge window and give the reason in one or two lines.