Question

There isn’t _____ food in the house. (Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option.)
A) Some
B) Little
C) Any
D) Few

Answer 1

Hint: All the words given in the options are adjectives. Adjectives are those words that describe or modify a noun. Sometimes more than one adjective can also be used together to describe a single noun. Some verbs can be modified to form adjectives, like “play - playful”. Some nouns can also be modified to form adjectives, like “child - childish”.

Complete answer:
Let us first see whether the noun that is being talked about in this sentence, is a countable or an uncountable noun. Next, we will see whether the sentence is in a negative mood or a positive mood, and accordingly, we shall choose our option.

Let us analyze the given options:
Option A) Some – this word is used to indicate a small quantity of something (generally equal to or more than five). For e.g. Can I have some chocolates? It is usually not used in a negative sentence, but the sentence given in the question is a negative one. Thus, this option is wrong.
Option B) Little – The word little is used to indicate a small quantity of something that is uncountable. For e.g. I had a little rice for dinner. There is very little space in this room. Also, this is used in a positive sentence. The sentence given in the question is negative and hence it cannot be used in this blank. Thus, this option is incorrect.
Option C) Any – In cases which are related to number or quantity, it generally means ‘even one’ or ‘even a single’. For e.g. I do not have any books to study. It is generally used for negative sentences, like the one given in the question. Therefore, this word can be used to fill in the blank. Thus, it is the correct option.
Option D) Few – The word ‘few’ is also used to refer to something that is a small quantity (usually less than five). For e.g. A few dogs chased me down the road. This word is generally used in positive sentences, but the one given in the question is a negative question. Thus, this option is incorrect.

Thus, the correct answer is Option (C) There isn’t any food in the house.

Note: Adjectives can be classified into two kinds, depending on how they modify the noun. When the adjective describes a characteristic or quality of a noun, it is called a qualitative adjective. When adjectives are used to describe the number or the quantity of a noun, then they are said to be quantitative adjectives. The adjectives discussed in this question are quantitative adjectives.