Fill in the blank with the correct Modal out of the given options.
Urvashi's sister certainly ________ disapproved the tone her sister took to address the househelp.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → would have
Complete sentence: Urvashi's sister certainly would have disapproved the tone her sister took to address the househelp. Urvashi's sister certainly would have disapproved of the tone her sister used with the house-help. The speaker is sure of her reaction at that time.
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) could have | a past possibility or ability that may not have happened. It says only that she was able to disapprove, not that she surely did, which is what "certainly" points to. | You could have called me for help. |
| (2) will have | Will have + past participle is the future perfect, for an action completed before a future time. The sentence is about the past. | By June we will have finished the project. |
| (3) would have (answer) | Would have + past participle expresses what someone surely did or felt in a past situation, a confident judgement about the past. Adverbs such as certainly or surely often go with it. | Father would have scolded us if he had seen the mess. |
| (4) would be | "Would be disapproved" is passive. It cannot take "the tone" as its object. | The plan would be rejected by the committee. |