Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word from the given options:-
I hardly know ------------- in the town.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → anyone
Complete sentence: I hardly know anyone in the town. "I hardly know ..." means "I know almost no one", so the pronoun is anyone.
| Option | Form and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) someone | Someone is used in positive statements. After the negative "hardly" we use anyone. | Someone is knocking at the door. |
| (2) anyone (answer) | Hardly means almost not. It is a negative word. Like "not", it is followed by any-words (anyone, anything, anywhere), not by some-words, and never by a second negative word. Clue word: "hardly", a negative word. | There was hardly anyone at the station. |
| (3) everyone | all people. "Hardly know everyone" does not give the sense "almost no one". | Everyone in the class passed the test. |
| (4) no one | No one is itself negative. "Hardly ... no one" is a double negative, which is not standard English. | No one answered the phone. |
Contrast: "hardly" is already negative, so it takes anyone. "Hardly ... no one" is a double negative.