Select the appropriate Modal to fill in the blank in the sentence given below:
Since the remote is with my mother, I _________ not switch on the T.V.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → can
Complete sentence: Since the remote is with my mother, I can not switch on the T.V. The reason is in the present ("the remote is with my mother"), so the result must also be in the present: I cannot switch on the TV.
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) could | Could not expresses past inability. It does not agree with the present "is". | The road was blocked, so we could not reach in time. |
| (2) would | Would not shows refusal or a conditional result, not inability caused by a fact. | The child would not eat his vegetables. |
| (3) might | Might not expresses uncertain possibility, but here there is no doubt: without the remote the speaker cannot switch it on. | It is cloudy, so we might not see the stars tonight. |
| (4) can (answer) | Can not (cannot) expresses present inability. | My hands are full, so I cannot open the door. |