Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank.
--------- money that you are earning should not be wasted.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → The little
Complete sentence: The little money that you are earning should not be wasted. "That you are earning" points to a particular amount, the small income you have, and all of it should be saved from waste, so The little is needed.
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) A little | A little means some, a small amount (a positive sense): Add a little sugar. A little means some, an unspecified small amount. It does not point to the particular amount named by "that you are earning". | Please add a little salt to the soup. |
| (2) The little (answer) | The little means the small amount that there is, all of it. It points to a particular quantity. Clue: "that you are earning", which points to a particular amount. | She spent the little money she had on books. |
| (3) Any | no matter which or how much. It does not express the idea of a small amount, which is what the sentence is about. | You can take any book from the shelf. |
| (4) Very little | Little means hardly any (a negative sense): There is little hope. Very little means almost none. "Very little money ... should not be wasted" would mean that hardly any money should be saved from waste, the opposite of the advice. | There is very little water left in the tank. |