Question

Fill in the blank with the correct option:

_______ I use your phone?
(a) Have (b) Could
(c) Would
(d) Had

Answer 1

Hint: Read the given sentence and decipher what it wants to convey. Now go through the given options and recall what they signify. Choose the one which best fits the context of the given sentence.

Complete answer: Modal verbs are the verbs that elucidate necessity or possibility of an event. Some of the modal verbs are: will, should, would, may, might, can, could, must.
In the above question, a person is seeking permission or is requesting to use a phone.
Option(a) “have”, it is used in the terms of possession, that a person owns something. For example, I have a pen. It is also used with pronouns I, We, You and They. Since the speaker is asking for permission, so “have” can’t be used in this question. Hence, this option is invalid.
Option(b) “could”, is the past participle of the modal verb “can” and is used to express past ability, possibility or to make requests and suggestions. If “can” were in the options it would have been apt for it. But “could” also fits in well as it is more polite than “can”. Hence, Option B) “could” is correct.
Option(c) “would”, is the past participle of the modal verb “will”, it is mainly used in conditional sentences and also when we talk about the past. Since the above question is to seek permission and is not conditional, so this option becomes invalid.
Option(d) “had”, is the past tense of the verb “have” and is used as past perfect tense. Here in the question, since it is asking for permission so this option becomes invalid.
therefore, option b is the right answer.

Note: Modal verbs add meaning to the main verb in terms of expressing possibility, ability or to make suggestions or requests. English modal verbs are nine in number, namely: will, would, should, can, could, may, might, must and ought to. Subject: English