Choose the correct option to complete the sentence given below :
Mohit and I couldn't get into the house because ________ of us had a key.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → neither
Complete sentence: Mohit and I couldn't get into the house because neither of us had a key. There are two people (Mohit and I), and they could not get in, so not one of the two had a key.
| Option | Form and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) neither (answer) | Neither means not one and not the other of two. It carries the negative meaning itself. | Neither of my parents can drive. |
| (2) any | "Any" has no negative meaning of its own. With the positive verb "had", "any of us had a key" is ungrammatical here and does not say that the key was missing. The idea needs a negative ("we did not have any key"). | Did any of you see the accident? |
| (3) none | None means not any, normally of three or more. "None" is used for a group of more than two. For two people the standard word is "neither". | None of the five students knew the answer. |
| (4) either | Either means one or the other of two. "Either of us had a key" would mean one of us had a key, so they could have entered. It contradicts the sentence. | You can sit on either side of the table. |
Contrast: neither of us = not one of the two. Either of us = one of the two.