Question

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate words.
Adam _________ uses a computer, but he ___________ programs a computer.
A) Is / isn’t
B) Can / can
C) Can / can’t
D) Can’t / can’t

Answer 1

Hint: Modal verb is an auxiliary verb that expresses the possibility or the necessity. The main purpose of the modal verb is to give or add meaning to the main verb in a sentence. Modal verbs are also known as helping verbs. For example: can, will, could, shall, must, might, should etc.

Complete answer:
Option A) Is / isn’t – is an incorrect answer because is and isn’t are not modal verbs. To fill the blank meaningfully modal verb to be used. Thus, we will consider this as an incorrect answer.
Option B) Can / can – is an incorrect answer because in the second blank it is just the probability whether the person knows how to program the computer or not. However, the use of but (conjunction) in the sentence shows the contrast between the two clauses. Therefore, the second blank cannot be ‘can’. Thus, this is an incorrect answer.
Option C) Can / can’t – is the correct answer because the meaning of can is ‘able to’, and can’t is opposite of can that is ‘not able to’. However, the use of conjunction ‘but’ shows that there is a contradiction between the two. Thus, the first blank will take ‘can’ and the second blank take ‘can’t’. Thus, this is the correct answer.
Option D) Can’t / can’t – is an incorrect answer because if Adam does not know how to use a computer then there is no point in discussing computer programing. So, this option is completely incorrect and does not give senseful meaning in the sentence.

Hence the correct answer is option ‘C’.

Note: In this particular question, ‘BUT’ plays an important role in creating a contrast in the sentence. ‘But’ is a conjunction and conjunction being a main part of speech and its main function is to connect clauses, sentences, words or phrases. For example: and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet, because, although and etc. Thus, ‘but’ indicates that option C is the most appropriate answer as compared to any other option.