MODAL VERBS I. Underline the correct form of the verb.

Ability 1. She could / was able to hang out the laundry after the rain had stopped. 2. Far away from the city you could / were able to hear crickets chirping. Permission, requests, offers, suggestions 1. A: Could I borrow your eraser? B: Yes, of course you can / could. 2. She could / was allowed to enter the club after she had shown her ID. Probability 1. He might / should be able to help you with your maths homework. After all he teaches mathematics. 2. My grandma will / can be at home now. She always watches 8 oclock news. Obligation, necessity, prohibition 1. I must / have to go to the dentist. I have a terrible toothache. 2. You must / have to wear a tie to enter that restaurant. Other functions of modal verbs 1. Shall / Will I bring one more chair? 2. He mustnt / wont go back to work until he is offered more money. II. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. III. Use the given modal verb with the appropriate form of the infinitive. Passive forms are also possible. You _______________ (need/insult) him so badly yesterday. He _______________ (cannot/study) now, because there is an important football match on TV. You _______________ (could/warn) me that she is so sensitive. They _______________ (should/know) something about it. Well ask them. My parents _______________ (not have to/study) Latin when they were at school. It _______________ (should/test), before it was applied. Choose the correct modal verb to complete the sentence. 1. She __________ go with us because there were four of us already. a) may not b) mustnt c) didnt need to d) could 2. We dont think they __________ announce their engagement before the end of the month. a) can b) must c) have to d) should 3. No student __________ leave school without teachers permission. a) wont b) shall c) need d) must 4. She __________ possibly send him out in the night. a) couldnt b) shouldnt c) neednt d) will 5. They __________ us down there on the river that morning, but they didnt. a) must have helped b) should help c) have to help d) might have helped 6. I was so surprised that she __________ the same mistake again. a) should have made b) could make c) would have made d) had to make

IV.

Mark the only modal verb that doesnt fit into the sentence. 1. I ________ be watching my favourite programme this evening. a) will b) may c) could d) must 2. They ________ have done all these things. a) might b) can c) mustnt d) neednt 3. You didnt tell me you wanted that book. I ________ have bought it for you. a) could b) should c) might d) would 4. She ________ her old friend at school yesterday. a) had to meet b) might have met c) should have met d) would have met 5. He ________ be faster, but my endurance will help me to win this marathon. a) may b) could c) should d) might 6. My daughter ________ study more and go out only at weekends. a) should b) must c) need d) could Transformations. Rewrite the second sentence using modal verbs or verbs with modal meanings instead of the underlined words. Change the rest of the sentence if necessary. You are prohibited from walking on the grass. You ________________ on the grass. It is not compulsory for us to be there in the evening. We _________________ there in the evening. The turkey has been in the oven for less than an hour. I am sure its not ready yet. It _______________ ready yet. The exams are on Friday. I am sure they are studying. They ____________________. She refuses to talk about the subject. She ___________________ about the subject. I forbid you to leave the room until everyone has finished. You _____________ the room until everyone has finished. It would have been a good idea if I had done my homework yesterday evening. I _____________________________________ my homework yesterday evening. I suppose it is possible that he had an accident. He _____________________________ an accident. I had a habit of switching off the computer without waiting for it to shut down. I ______________________ the computer without waiting for it to shut down. I know for sure that it was the wrong turning. It ___________________ the wrong turning. Some of the following sentences are correct and some have mistakes in them. Tick the correct ones and correct the ones with mistakes. Dont expect me to be on time. I might have got stuck in the traffic jam. ______________________________________________________________ I cant find my purse. I must leave it at home. ______________________________________________________________ The government ought to call an early election. ______________________________________________________________ You mustnt have let him see how much he had hurt you. ______________________________________________________________ You neednt have waited for me. Did you forget I had told you I would go straight home? ______________________________________________________________ I can hear someone singing in the bathroom. John must take a shower. ____________________________________________________________

V. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. VI. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

KEY I. Ability 1. was able to 2. could Permission 1. can 2. was allowed to Probability 1. should 2. will KEY II. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. neednt have insulted cant be studying could have warned should know didnt have to study should have been tested Obligation 1. must 2. have to Other functions of modal verbs 1. Shall 2. wont

KEY III. 1. didnt need to 2. should 3. shall 4. couldnt 5. might have helped 6. would have made KEY IV. 1. must 2. can 3. should 4. would have met 5. should 6. need KEY V. Transformations. 1. You mustnt (cant, may not) walk on the grass. 2. We neednt (dont have to, dont need to) be there in the evening.

3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

It cant be ready yet. They must be studying. She wont talk about the subject. You cannot (may not, mustnt) leave the room until everyone has finished. I should have done my homework yesterday evening. He might (could) have had an accident. I would switch off the computer without waiting for it to shut down. It must have been the wrong turning.

KEY 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. VI. X X X X I might get stuck in the traffic jam. I must have left it at home. You shouldnt have let him see how much he had hurt you. John must be taking a shower.