Fill in the blank with the appropriate Modal from the options given below:
He _________ not ask for a raise for fear of losing his job.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → dare
Complete sentence: He dare not ask for a raise for fear of losing his job. "For fear of losing his job" shows that he lacks the courage to ask, so "He dare not ask for a raise" fits.
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) dare (answer) | Dare means to have the courage to do something. In negative sentences it works as a modal: dare not + base verb, with no "to" and no "-s" (he dare not ask). | She dare not tell her father about the broken vase. |
| (2) need | "Need not" means it is not necessary. "He need not ask for fear of losing his job" does not connect the fear with the lack of courage. | You need not come tomorrow. It is a holiday. |
| (3) should | "Should not" gives advice about what is right. The phrase "for fear of" speaks of his own fear, which is a matter of courage, not of advice. | You should not skip breakfast. |
| (4) ought | "Ought" means should, as a duty or the right thing to do. Unlike the other modals it always takes "to" before the verb: "ought not to ask". "He ought not ask" leaves out "to", so the sentence is wrong. | You ought not to waste food. |
Note: In the original NTA paper, Option 4 read "may". NTA accepted this option as a correct answer as well. To leave only one correct answer and avoid confusion for students, it has been changed here to "ought".
Advice for the exam: In the real exam, mark the answer that is grammatically or factually correct. If NTA’s provisional answer key marks a different option, challenge it during the answer-key challenge window and give the reason in one or two lines.