Choose the correct alternative out of the four. It was very kind of you to do the washing-up, but you it.

Question

Choose the correct alternative out of the four.

It was very kind of you to do the washing-up, but you it.

1. A. didn't have to do
2. B. hadn't to do
3. C. mightn't have done
4. D. mustn't have done (Correct answer)

Correct Answer

Option D — mustn't have done

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is didn't have to do.

Key Points

• "Didn't have to" states that an action was not necessary — which is exactly what the first clause implies: the washing-up was a kindness, not an obligation.
• The sentence contrasts *"It was very kind of you"* with the absence of any duty, so the blank needs an expression of absent necessity, not prohibition.
• "Mustn't have done" is not standard English for past prohibition; *must not* refers to present or future prohibition, never to a completed past act.
• "Hadn't to do" is archaic and is not used in modern British or Indian English.

Additional Information

• Note the important contrast tested repeatedly in JKSSB and SSC papers: *didn't need to* / *didn't have to* = it was not necessary, while *needn't have* = it was done but was unnecessary.
• The official JKSSB answer key marks Option D for this question. Standard grammar supports Option A, so this item is a strong candidate for a key challenge — candidates should be aware of both.