The teacher asked the students to submit their assignments before the end of … week

Analyze the question

The sentence is: The teacher asked the students to submit their assignments before the end of ____ week.

We need a word that fits grammatically and logically with "week" and with the idea of submitting something in the future.

Explain the concept

Two things matter here:

1. Agreement: "week" is singular, so a plural determiner like "these" (B) cannot go with it. We would need "this week" instead.
2. Logic of time: "Submit... before the end of ___ week" refers to a deadline that has not yet passed. A deadline must lie in the present or the future, so the week must be the current one or an upcoming one.

Step-by-step solution

• A. last week: "Before the end of last week" refers to a time already past. You cannot ask students to submit something by a deadline that has already gone. Illogical.
• B. any week: "Before the end of any week" makes no sense as a specific deadline. It is vague and unnatural.
• C. these week: Wrong, because "these" is plural and "week" is singular. Ungrammatical.
• D. next week: "Before the end of next week" gives a clear future deadline. It is grammatical and logical.

Answer: D. next

Tip: In fill-in-the-gap questions, check grammar first (singular/plural agreement), then logic (tense and time). Words like "ask/submit/before" point to the future, so choose future-oriented words like "next." Watch out for "this/these" and "that/those" as common traps for singular/plural agreement.