Choose the correct option from the following.
Work hard lest you ______ fail.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → should
Complete sentence: Work hard lest you should fail. Work hard for fear that you fail: "Work hard lest you should fail."
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) will | "Lest" does not take will. The pattern is "lest ... should". | – |
| (2) should not | "Lest" already means "so that ... not". Adding not makes a double negative and reverses the sense ("work hard so that you do not not fail"). | – |
| (3) could | ability or possibility. It does not go with "lest". | – |
| (4) should (answer) | The conjunction lest means "for fear that" or "so that ... not". In formal English it is followed by should + base verb (or by the base verb alone). Since "lest" already carries the negative idea, no "not" is added after it. | Walk carefully lest you should slip on the wet floor. |