Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word from the given options:
Papa got up from the dinner table without saying ________, so we knew he was upset about the match.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → anything
Complete sentence: Papa got up from the dinner table without saying anything, so we knew he was upset about the match. “Without” has a negative meaning, and Papa stayed silent.
| Option | Form and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) anyone | stands for a person, not a thing | Did anyone see my blue pen? |
| (2) anything (answer) | used for a thing after a negative word | Rohan left the shop without buying anything. |
| (3) nothing | already negative; it cannot follow another negative word such as “without” | There is nothing in the fridge. |
| (4) any | as a pronoun stands for some of a thing already named, so that noun must come earlier in the sentence | I wanted some milk, but Ma had not kept any for me. |