Fill in the blank with the appropriate modal.
Our grandparents ________ use kerosene lamps, as their village had no electricity then.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → had to
Complete sentence: Our grandparents had to use kerosene lamps, as their village had no electricity then. The village had no electricity, so the grandparents had no other way to get light. The word “then” shows past time.
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) must | a need in the present or future. It has no past form of its own, so it does not fit “had no electricity then”. | You must carry your ID card to the exam. |
| (2) ought to | moral duty or advice. Using lamps was not a duty. | We ought to help our neighbours. |
| (3) had to (answer) | something was necessary in the past | The bus was late, so Meena had to walk to school. |
| (4) have to | a need in the present. The sentence is about the past. | I have to finish my homework tonight. |