Question

Fill in the blank with a suitable modal:
I have a lot of new dresses. You _______ buy any for me.

• A. Might not
• B. May not
• C. Need not
• D. Could not

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

Need not

Option C: 'Need' is a modal that means 'necessity or obligation'. It is generally used in negatives 'need not' and interrogatives. Here, it means that 'you do not need to buy any more dresses'.
It relates to the given sentence, as the speaker says that she has a lot of dresses and hence it is not necessary for the listener 'you' to buy any more.
Hence option C is correct.
Options A and D: 'Might' and 'could' both refer to possibility. ('Might' indicates a factual possibility and 'could' indicates a theoretical one.)
The sentence does not indicate possibility but necessity, as the speaker is telling 'you' that something is not necessary.
Hence options A and D are incorrect.
Option B: 'May' indicates permission and is used when one gives permission to do something. It does not really relate to the sentence. The first sentence states that the speaker has a lot of new dresses and does not need any more.
Hence, 'need not' is more preferable to 'may not' and option B is incorrect.