Fill in the blank with the most appropriate determiner:
The old library near the bus stand is hardly used these days. ______ readers visit it, and dust has settled on most of its shelves.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Few
Complete sentence: The old library near the bus stand is hardly used these days. Few readers visit it, and dust has settled on most of its shelves. “Readers” can be counted. The library is “hardly used”, and dust has settled on its shelves.
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) A few | some, a small number: a positive sense | A few boys were playing cricket in the lane. |
| (2) Little | with uncountable nouns (water, time) | We had little food left after the guests had eaten. |
| (3) Many | a large number, with no negative sense | Many people visit the Pushkar fair every year. |
| (4) Few (answer) | hardly any: a negative sense, with countable plural nouns | Few trains stop at our small station now. |