Which of the following options correctly fits the blank space in the given sentence?
She advised that I ____ curtail my expenditure.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → should
Complete sentence: She advised that I should curtail my expenditure. Her advice is that cutting down spending is the right course, so "I should curtail my expenditure" (curtail = reduce).
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) should have | Should have speaks of a past duty that was not done ("I should have saved more"). It needs the past participle: "should have curtailed", not "should have curtail". | – |
| (2) shall | Shall expresses the future or a promise. It does not report advice after "advised that". | – |
| (3) should (answer) | Should expresses advice or the right thing to do. Verbs such as advise, suggest, recommend followed by "that" take should + base form in the clause. | The coach advised that we should rest before the final. |
| (4) should be | Should be must be followed by a participle or an adjective ("should be careful"). "Should be curtail" is not a correct form. | – |