Question:

Choose the incorrect use of modal verb.

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Modal verbs must agree with time reference:
Past habit → would + past tense
Future → will + base verb Never mix \textbf{would} with \textbf{will} in the same time frame.
Updated On: Jan 9, 2026
  • Arif wouldn’t eat garlic when he was a kid.
  • Arif wouldn’t eat garlic when he is a kid.
  • Arif will not eat garlic when he was a kid.
  • Arif wouldn’t eat garlic when he will a kid.
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Recall the use of modal verbs with time reference.
Would not / wouldn’t is commonly used to describe a habitual action in the past.
Past habits must be followed by a past time clause (e.g., \emph{when he was a kid}).
Step 2: Analyse each option.
(A) Correct — past habit + past time reference.
(B) Slightly awkward but acceptable in informal usage; meaning is still clear.
(C) Incorrect tense agreement, but focuses more on tense mismatch than modal misuse.
(D) Incorrect — “wouldn’t” (past habit) cannot be used with “will” (future tense). This is a clear misuse of modal verbs.
Step 3: Identify the clearly incorrect modal usage. The combination \emph{“wouldn’t … will”} is grammatically invalid.
Hence, the incorrect sentence is \[ \boxed{\text{(D)}} \]
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