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Help the freelance designer, Leo, politely decline a request to build a website for a client's pet iguana in exchange for "exposure." Select the correct option for each blank.
Hi Tom,
Thank you for the offer! It sounds like a fun project, but _________________________ I can't take it on right now. I really _________________________ focus on my paying clients this month. I wish you the best of luck with Iggy's blog!
...but I'm afraid I can't take it on right now.
"I'm afraid" is a very common and polite way to introduce a refusal or bad news in English. It functions similarly to "I am sorry to say that..."
I really have to focus on my paying clients this month.
"Have to" correctly expresses obligation. "Must" cannot be followed by "to" (it should just be "must focus"), and "ought" requires "to" (it should be "ought to focus").