Question

Fill in the blank with a suitable modal auxiliary expressing possibility:
'What shall we do?' 'There's a movie coming on T.V. We _____ watch that.'
A) Shall
B) Should
C) Could
D) Must

Answer 1

Hint: A verb is a word that represents an action, an event, or a state of being in grammar. It is derived from the Latin verbum, which means word. The infinitive, with or without the particle to, is the basic form in the standard English description. Tense, aspect, mood, and voice are all encoded through inflecting verbs in various languages.

Complete answer:
Modal verbs reveal the speaker's reaction to what is being said or done. The term "modal" refers to communicating mood, and mood is a way of expressing the speaker's attitude. In the given sentence, the speaker has given a suggestion to watch a movie. It is an uncertain possibility, so the modal verb should indicate uncertainty.

Let us look at the given options:
A) Shall: This option is incorrect because “shall” expresses certainty of performing something in the future whereas the speaker has just made a suggestion of watching a movie so it is an uncertain event.
B) Should: This option is incorrect because “should” again expresses obligation of performing something whereas we have to show the uncertain event of watching a movie.
C) Could: This is the correct answer since it expresses a questionable competence that corresponds to the question's meaning.
D) Must: This option is incorrect because “must” again expresses extreme obligation of performing something whereas we have to show the uncertain event of watching a movie.

Thus, the correct answer is Option (C) Could.

Note: Rules of using modal forms:
- If you need to use modals in the negative form, only add "not" after the modal verb.
- After a modal, use the basic form of the verb.
- Use the present form of the modal verb. Transform it into the present, future, or past, but don't change its shape.