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Difficulty: MediumModal Auxiliaries and Expressing Modality

Complete the following sentence by providing the appropriate modal auxiliary phrase that expresses an action that was performed even though it was unnecessary.

Answer:Since the manager had already broadcast the meeting notes electronically, the assistant 【need not have】 printed physical copies for everyone.

Answer

need not have / needn't have
The modal structure 'need not have' (or 'needn't have') followed by the past participle 'printed' correctly indicates that an action was performed despite being unnecessary.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the pragmatic meaning of the sentence context.
The action of printing copies took place, but prior electronic delivery made it unnecessary.
The sentence describes an action completed in the past that turned out to be redundant.
2
Select the modal auxiliary form that conveys unneeded past action.
The correct form is 'need not have' (or contracted 'needn't have') + past participle ('printed').
'Need not have' specifically indicates that a past action was executed unnecessarily, contrasting with 'did not need to' which implies the action was not necessarily performed.

Key Concept

Past Modality: Expressing Unnecessary Past Actions (Need not have + Past Participle)
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Modal Auxiliaries and Expressing Modality

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