Question

Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate words.
Tim ________ run very well, but I _________ run like him, because I was bad at running.
(a)could / couldn’t
(b)could / could
(c)can / could
(d)can / can

Answer 1

Hint: Look for pointers suggesting which modal auxiliary to use in which blank. The sentence simply states a negative comparison. 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 narrator is telling us the fact that they were unable to run like him because they were bad at running. So, this means that Tim was able to run very well. This means that the first blank should contain a positive auxiliary and the second blank should contain a negative auxiliary.

Now, we know what we are looking for. Let’s look at the given options:
(a)could / couldn’t - The first auxiliary is positive and the second auxiliary is negative. This fits perfectly into the given sentence. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.
(b)could / could - Both auxiliaries are positive. This does not fit into the given sentence. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
(c)can / could - The first auxiliary is in the present tense and the second one is positive. This does not fit into the given sentence. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
(c)can / can - Both of these auxiliaries are in the present tense. This does not fit into the given sentence. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.

Note: Understand the meaning of the given sentence, and then go through the given
options. Make sure it is grammatically correct. Then, choose the correct option.