Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option:
By the first week of June, the municipal workers ______ all the drains in our colony, so the lanes will not flood this monsoon.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → will have cleared
Future perfect tense:
- Its form is will have + past participle (V3).
- It shows an action that will be finished by a point in the future.
- The point here is “the first week of June”, and the job must be complete by then for the lanes to stay dry.
- Clue word: “By the first week of June”.
- Complete sentence: By the first week of June, the municipal workers will have cleared all the drains in our colony, so the lanes will not flood this monsoon.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: will be clearing — Incorrect.
- “Will be clearing” is the future continuous.
- It shows an action going on at a future time, not one finished by then.
- Example: At ten tomorrow, I will be writing my maths paper.
Option 3: had cleared — Incorrect.
- “Had cleared” is the past perfect.
- It shows an action finished before a past time, but June here is in the future.
- Example: The rain had stopped before we left the cinema.
Option 4: have cleared — Incorrect.
- “Have cleared” is the present perfect.
- It links an action to now, so it cannot go with a future time like “by the first week of June”.
- Example: The workers have cleared the fallen tree from the road.