Fill in the blank with the correct modal.
It _____ our baby crying all night, because he slept peacefully beside us till morning.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → can’t have been
Complete sentence: It can’t have been our baby crying all night, because he slept peacefully beside us till morning. The crying went on last night, so we need a past form. The baby slept peacefully till morning, so we are sure the crying was not his.
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) might not be | only a doubt. The reason in the sentence makes the speaker sure, so a doubt is too weak. | The sky is cloudy, but it might not rain. |
| (2) shouldn’t be | advice, or what is wrong to do. The sentence is a guess about who was crying, not advice. | Children shouldn’t be out alone so late. |
| (3) needn’t have been | with a past participle (V3), something was done, but it was not necessary. It is not used to guess what happened. | You needn’t have brought a gift, but thank you. |
| (4) can’t have been (answer) | can’t have + V3: we are sure that something did not happen in the past, a sure guess based on proof | Riya can’t have broken the vase, because she was at school all day. |