can’t & shouldn’t

[zaedsul]

You ___________ have handed the work in today. The deadline has been extended until next week.
Choose one answer.

a. needn’t
b. can’t
c. shouldn’t
d. mustn’t
I think it is shouldn't but not sure

 

[bhaisahab]

You ___________ have handed the work in today. The deadline has been extended until next week.
Choose one answer.

a. needn’t
b. can’t
c. shouldn’t
d. mustn’t
I think it is shouldn't but not sure

No, try again.

 

[zaedsul]

can't

 

[billmcd]

You ___________ have handed the work in today. The deadline has been extended until next week.
Choose one answer.

a. needn’t
b. can’t
c. shouldn’t
d. mustn’t
I think it is shouldn't but not sure

I think a. and c. are acceptable. But I suspect that a. would be the choice in BrE. In AmE I would infer that "needn't" suggests that it wasn't necessary perhaps because of some previous notification, whereas "shouldn't suggests that in the speaker's opinion it wasn't necessary. A narrow distinction but a difference nevertheless.

 

[Barb_D]

I can't support "shouldn't" as a good answer, even though "needn't" isn't used much in the US. (We would be more likely to say "You didn't have to hand in..."

But "shouldn't" implies that there was something WRONG with turning it in, instead of simply being unnecessary.

 

[SoothingDave]

I can't support "shouldn't" as a good answer, even though "needn't" isn't used much in the US. (We would be more likely to say "You didn't have to hand in..."

But "shouldn't" implies that there was something WRONG with turning it in, instead of simply being unnecessary.

i think "needn't" was probably the answer that they were looking for.

But, if I was working on something with a deadline, the product I turn in might change if I have another week to work on it. So I might tell someone that they shouldn't have turned it in.

 

[emsr2d2]

"Needn't" is the only one that works for me if we assume that the question simply dealt with a standard deadline for something like handing in a college essay. Most people don't hand in a piece of work until they need to (ie until there is almost no time left before the deadline).

As Barb said, "shouldn't" suggests that you have done something wrong which isn't the case.
"Can't" would express disbelief. "You can't have handed it in today. You hadn't even started it last night!"
"You mustn't have handed it in ..." simply isn't natural English, no matter what the context is.