Choose the most appropriate determiner to fill in the blank.
Rescuers say there is ________ hope of finding the trekkers alive, so the search may be called off.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → little
Complete sentence: Rescuers say there is little hope of finding the trekkers alive, so the search may be called off. “Called off” means stopped. People stop a search when there is almost no hope.
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) little (answer) | hardly any, with uncountable nouns like “hope”: a negative sense | There is little water in the tank, so we cannot bathe today. |
| (2) a little | some, a small but useful amount: a positive sense, so stopping the search would not follow | There is still a little time, so we can try once more. |
| (3) the little | all of the small amount there is: it points to an amount named later in the sentence, and none is named here | He spent the little money he had on books. |
| (4) few | with plural countable nouns (books, friends): “hope” here cannot be counted | Few students came to class on the rainy day. |