Select the correct modal auxiliary to express a logical deduction about a past event: 'The laboratory doors were bolted from the inside; the intruder _______ entered through the ventilation shaft.'
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. must have
- Step 1: The context provides premise evidence eliminating the door, making entry through the shaft a compelling logical necessity.
- Step 2: 'Must have + past participle' expresses strong certainty and logical deduction about past occurrences.
Answer
must have.
Why not the others: 'should have' expresses unfulfilled obligation; 'could not have' indicates impossibility (the opposite); 'would have' expresses hypothetical consequence.
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