Question

Complete the sentence with the most suitable option:
A: I must go home now.
B: I wish you ____________ home now.

a. don’t have to go
b. mustn’t have gone
c. didn’t have to go
d. needn’t have gone

Answer 1

Hint: The first modal auxiliary used is ‘must’ which indicates obligation/compulsion. These are pointers suggesting which modal auxiliary to use in the given blank. The sentence simply states what B wishes. These pointers are indicators of certain situations.

Complete answer: Verbs are action words that show action (sing), occurrence (develop), or state of being (exist), usually of a noun. Every sentence requires
a verb. The basic form of a verb is known as an infinitive. A modal auxiliary is a type of verb that is used to indicate modality – that is: likelihood, ability, permission, request, capacity, suggestions, order, obligation, or advice. Modal verbs always accompany the base form of another verb having relevant linguistic content.

In the given sentence, the person clearly wants to say that they wish A was not under an obligation to leave. This means that we need a phrase/verb that refers to obligation or compulsion as well.
Now, we know what we are looking for. Let’s look at the given options:
a. don’t have to go - The modal auxiliary used here indicates obligation, but the verb ‘don’t’ does not match the subject in the sentence. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
b. mustn’t have gone - The modal auxiliary used here indicates ‘something forbidden’ which is not what we need. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
c. didn’t have to go - The modal auxiliary used here indicates obligation, and the subject matches the verb. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.
d. needn’t have gone - The modal auxiliary used here indicates advice. This does not fit into the blank. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.

Note: Use the modal verb as it is. Don’t change its form and turn it into the present, future, or past forms. Don’t add anything to it. You can’t add s, ed, or ing. If you need to use modals in the negative form, then use only “not” AFTER the modal verb. Don’t add any extra words anymore. So, don’t use words like “isn’t”, “doesn’t”, “don’t”, “won’t”, “wasn’t”, “aren’t”.