Fill in the blank in the following sentence with the most appropriate option:
__________ money that you have saved should not be spent on a grand wedding.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → The little
Complete sentence: The little money that you have saved should not be spent on a grand wedding. The money is a particular amount, fixed by the clause "that you have saved", and the speaker means all of that small amount, so "The little" is needed.
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) The little (answer) | The little = the small amount that there is, all of it. Used when the amount is a particular one. Deciding clue: the clause "that you have saved", which makes the money a particular amount. | The little water left in the bottle was given to the child. |
| (2) Little | Little = hardly any (a negative sense). "Little" alone means hardly any and is used for a general amount. It cannot point to the particular money that was saved. | There is little hope of rain today. |
| (3) A little | A little = some, a small but useful amount. "A little" means some and is indefinite. "A little" cannot point to the particular money fixed by "that you have saved", which needs "the". | Add a little salt to the soup. |
| (4) More | "More" means a greater amount and needs a comparison, which the sentence does not have. | I need more time to finish this. |