Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word from the options given below:
Ramu locks the cattle shed every night ______ the calves should wander out onto the highway.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → lest
Complete sentence: Ramu locks the cattle shed every night lest the calves should wander out onto the highway. Ramu fears that the calves may wander onto the highway. He locks the shed to stop this from happening.
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) so that | shows a purpose, the aim of an action | Dev set two alarms so that he would wake up in time for the early train. |
| (2) unless | means if not | Your phone will switch off unless you charge it soon. |
| (3) lest (answer) | means for fear that, or so that something does not happen. It is usually followed by “should” | Hold the railing lest you should slip on the wet steps. |
| (4) although | shows that something happens in spite of another fact | Although the tea was very hot, Rahul drank it in one go. |