Improve the bracketed part of the sentence by choosing the option that is grammatically correct and best preserves the meaning: We (should had) the confidence that we will surely succeed one day.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: should have

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This sentence improvement question tests basic auxiliary verb usage in English. The original phrase should had is incorrect, and you must replace it with a grammatically correct alternative that still expresses the intended sense of appropriate attitude or obligation about confidence in future success.



Given Data / Assumptions:
The sentence is We blank the confidence that we will surely succeed one day. The idea is not about past possibility or evidence but about what is proper or advisable. Therefore, the correct auxiliary should express a recommendation or moral obligation concerning our present mental state.



Concept / Approach:
In English, should is used with the base form of a verb to indicate duty, advice, or expectation, as in We should study or You should be careful. When should combines with have, it forms should have followed by a past participle, usually to talk about past obligations. In the structure we should have the confidence, however, have functions as a main verb meaning possess, not as part of a perfect tense. The combination should have in this sentence is still correct because should takes the base verb have. The expression should had is never grammatical. Could have and must have usually refer to past possibilities or deductions and do not fit this present general statement.



Step-by-Step Solution:
First, replace should had with should have. The sentence becomes We should have the confidence that we will surely succeed one day. This is grammatical and expresses that it is right or advisable to possess confidence.Second, try could have. We could have the confidence suggests mere possibility rather than a sense of duty or inner requirement.Third, try must have. We must have the confidence sounds stronger and closer to a command, but in many exam contexts should have is preferred for advice and encouragement.Fourth, evaluate the no improvement option. Since should had is clearly incorrect, no improvement cannot be right.Therefore, should have is the best replacement, both grammatically and in meaning.


Verification / Alternative check:
We can compare similar sentences: We should have faith, We should have patience, or We should have hope for the future. All of these are common and correct. The structure is subject plus should plus base verb have plus object noun, where have is a main verb. With could have or must have, there may be confusion with perfect tense forms, such as They must have gone, which talk about past events instead of present attitudes.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Could have suggests possibility rather than an appropriate or recommended state, which weakens the motivational tone of the sentence. Must have can sound acceptable but is usually used for strong necessity or logical deduction and is not as natural in this context as should have. No improvement is wrong because should had violates the basic rule that modal verbs like should are always followed by the base form of the main verb, not a past form.



Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse the pattern modal plus have plus past participle with cases where have is an independent verb. They also occasionally treat had as if it could follow any modal. Remember that modals such as should, could, and must are always followed by the base form of the next verb, never by a past form. When have itself is the main verb meaning possess, the base form is still have, not had.



Final Answer:
The correct improvement is should have, so the sentence should read We should have the confidence that we will surely succeed one day.

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