Fill in the blank with appropriate adverb from the list below:-
Nothing _____ happens by chance.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → ever
Ever with a negative word:
- Ever means at any time. It is used in questions and after negative words such as nothing, nobody, never, hardly.
- This sentence: "Nothing ever happens by chance" means that at no time does anything happen by chance; "ever" strengthens the negative "nothing".
Example: Nobody ever visits that old fort.
Complete sentence: Nothing ever happens by chance.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: sometimes — Incorrect. Sometimes means on some occasions; "Nothing sometimes happens" mixes "never" with "now and then" and makes no sense.
Example: I sometimes walk to school.
Option 2: often — Incorrect. Often means many times; "Nothing often happens by chance" would only say that chance events are rare, not that there are none.
Example: She often visits her grandparents.
Option 4: seldom — Incorrect. Seldom means rarely and is itself negative; with "nothing" it makes a double negative.
Example: He seldom eats outside.
Contrast: ever goes with a negative word (Nothing ever happens); seldom is itself negative, so "nothing seldom" makes a double negative.