Fill in the blank with the correct modal.
The ground is wet and there are puddles everywhere. It ________ have rained last night.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → must
Complete sentence: The ground is wet and there are puddles everywhere. It must have rained last night. We did not see the rain. But the wet ground and the puddles, small pools of water on the ground, make us sure that it rained.
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) must (answer) | must have + past participle (V3): we are almost sure about a past event | The lights are off, so the family must have gone out. |
| (2) should | “Should have + V3” talks about something expected or right in the past that did not happen. Here the wet ground shows that the rain did happen. | You should have called me before leaving. |
| (3) ought to | “Ought to have + V3” is used like “should have”, for a right action that was not done. The sentence is a sure guess from signs. | Ravi ought to have thanked his teacher. |
| (4) would | “Would have + V3” shows an imagined past result, usually with an “if” condition. There is no such condition here. | If you had asked, I would have helped you. |