In the sentence given below, the modal ‘must’ expresses:
The whole house smells of ghee and cardamom. Sunita must be making kheer for the guests.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → a strong guess (deduction)
The smell of ghee and cardamom is the clue. The speaker does not see Sunita but is almost sure that she is making kheer.
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) obligation / necessity | a duty to do something; no one is telling Sunita that she has a duty to make kheer | All students must wear the school uniform on Mondays. |
| (2) strong advice | tells someone what they should do; the sentence does not tell Sunita what to do | You must visit the new science museum on your trip to Delhi. |
| (3) prohibition | shown by the negative mustn’t; this sentence is positive | You mustn’t swim in the river during the floods. |
| (4) a strong guess (deduction) (answer) | must shows that the speaker is almost sure something is true, based on clues | Arjun is yawning again and again, so he must be very tired. |