Question

Fill in the blank with the appropriate verb
Shopkeeper: ______ I help you?
A) Shall
B) Could
C) May
D) Might

Answer 1

Hint:Modal is a type of auxiliary verb that is used to express ability, permission and etc.

Complete Answer: Here, the shopkeeper is asking for permission to be able to help the subject. The correct modal verb used for taking permission politely and keeping in mind we have to choose the correct answer.

>Option A) Shall – is not the correct answer because shall is a modal verb used to indicate future action but sentence is in present tense. So shall is not the right answer for the given blank.
>Option B) Could – is not the correct answer because could is used to express the past ability of the possibility. And we know that sentence is in present tense so we have to give answers in present only.
>Option C) May – is the correct answer as it expresses the possibility because in the sentence the shopkeeper is politely taking permission from the subject to help. Hence, this is the correct option. Shopkeeper: May I help you?
>Option D) Might – is the wrong option because might expresses the slight possibility of doing helping the subject. Hence, this is the incorrect answer.

Hence option ‘C’ is the correct answer.

Note: In this question there are some important things to remember about modal verbs. Firstly, they do not inflect by which I mean, they do not add – s, -ing, -ed in the end of the verb. Secondly, Modal verbs are followed by another verb.