Choose the most appropriate word to fill in the blank in the given sentence:
The coffee is so hot ______ I can't drink it.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → that
Complete sentence: The coffee is so hot that I can't drink it. The coffee is very hot, and the result is that the speaker cannot drink it, so the blank needs that.
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) however | However is a linking adverb of contrast (but still). It cannot complete the "so ... that" pattern. | The plan was good; however, it was too costly. |
| (2) but | But joins two contrasting ideas. There is no contrast between "so hot" and "I can't drink it". | He is poor but honest. |
| (3) yet | Yet also shows contrast (but in spite of that). "So hot yet I can't drink it" makes no sense. | The task was hard, yet she finished it on time. |
| (4) that (answer) | The pattern so + adjective/adverb + that + clause shows a cause and its result. The first part gives the degree ("so hot"). The clause after that gives the result ("I can't drink it"). Clue word: "so" ("so hot") calls for "that" before the result clause. | He was so tired that he fell asleep at once. |