Question

Fill in the blank with a suitable option:
Last year Mr. Taylor _________ work 60 hours a week.

• A. must
• B. had to
• C. would
• D. has to

Answer 1

The correct option is B had to

Option B: 'Had to' is a semi-modal verb that expresses a duty or obligation. It applies here, as the sentences says: It was Mr. Taylor's job to work 60 hours a week. Hence option B is correct.

Option C: 'Would', on the other hand, refers to a past habit. For example, 'I would visit Grandma every weekend.' But the given sentence does not talk about a past habit, but a duty. Hence, option C is incorrect.

Option A: 'Must' refers to a strong obligation, or compulsion. 'You must clean your room every day.' The given sentence does not express the same thing, hence A is incorrect.

Option D: 'Has to' is the present tense form of 'had to'. Since the sentence is in past tense 'last year', the present verb 'has' is irrelevant. Hence D is incorrect.