Question

Choose the option that best fills in the blank:

She carried a lunch box so _____ she could eat on the train.

• A. for
• B. when
• C. than
• D. that

Answer 1

The correct option is D that

A conjunction combines or connects two sentences as one. Depending on the relationship between these parts of the resulting sentence, the conjunction is either subordinating or coordinating. In the given sentence, the clause "she could eat on the train" is subordinate/dependent, as it depends on the main/independent clause "She carried a lunch box" for its full meaning, so we use a subordinating conjunction. A coordinating conjunction is used when both clauses are independent. A conjunction can either be a single word, or a phrase, like even if, as if, as much as, so that, etc. In this sentence the conjunction is a phrase from which we're given the first word "so" and we need to find the second part of the phrase from the options. The subordinate clause is the purpose behind which the action in the main clause "carried a lunch box" takes place, the purpose being "eat on the train". From the options, 'that' expresses purpose, when paired together (so that) the phrase refers to a purpose, hence option D is correct. 'For' is a coordinating conjunction, it's an Illative conjunction, which means 'inferred from', and is used when one statement or fact is provided by the other, whereas the given sentence is not inference based, hence option A is incorrect. 'When' is used for time-related sentences, but the given sentence does not focus on time, hence option B is incorrect. 'Than' is used in comparison sentences, when two individuals or things are compared. The sentence not being a comparison, makes option C wrong.