Modal Verbs (Auxiliares Modais) - 30 Exercícios com gabarito

01. (UNIRIO) Research shows that sunscreens may not be as effective as hoped at
preventing sunburn. Users may be spending long hours in the sun with a false sense
of security.
The word may expresses the idea of:
a) permission.
b) possibility.
c) prohibition.
d) obligation.
e) expectation.

02. (PUCCAMP)
Janet: Look, our boat is sinking!
Peter: Oh, dear! Can you swim?
Janet: Yes, but we won’t have to, there’s a life boat on board.
In the above dialogue, the verbs CAN and HAVE TO express respectively __________
and __________.
a) ability – obligation
b) permission – prohibition
c) possibility – prohibition
d) permission – possibility
e) ability – necessity

03. (UEL) Assinale a alternativa que preenche corretamente a lacuna da frase a

seguir:
- “Excuse me, sir. __________ you tell me the time?”
- “Sure, it’s 5:20.”
a) May
b) Do
c) Can
d) Have
e) Shall

04. (UEL) Assinale a traduçã o correta da frase entre aspas apresentada no diá logo a
seguir:
- “Can you tell me how to get there?”
- Of course I can.
a) Você pode me dizer como se consegue isso lá ?
b) Quem pode me contar como se faz isso?
c) Você pode me ensinar o caminho?
d) Como se pode ir de lá para cá ?
e) Você consegue atravessar para o outro lado?

05. (UEL) Assinale a versã o correta da frase entre aspas: “Nã o posso comprar um
carro novo.”
a) I shouldn’t be thinking of a new car.
b) I can’t afford a new car.
c) I can’t buy anything new.
d) If it is new, I don’t want it.
e) Who needs a new car anyway?

06. (UEL) Assinale a letra correspondente à alternativa que preenche corretamente

a lacuna da frase apresentada:
Bob, __________ you do me a real favor?
a) may
b) could
c) must
d) ought
e) should

07. (UNESP) Assinale a alternativa correta:

Doctors and dentists should always __________ with their training.
a) continued
b) continue
c) continuing
d) will continued
e) have continue

08. (UNESP) Assinale a alternativa correta:

Could I __________ earlier tomorrow?
a) to leave
b) leave
c) leaves
d) left
e) leaving

09. (FAAP) Assinale a alternativa correta:

I’m sorry the train was late and I _______ arrive earlier.
a) couldn’t
b) ought not
c) don’t
d) mustn’t
e) wouldn’t

10. (FEI) Complete: I’d prefer to stay here. That’s what I’d __________.
a) do
b) do best
c) have done
d) rather do
e) doing

11. (MACKENZIE) Indicate the alternative that best completes the following
sentence: “He might have done it.” So, __________.
a) he was permitted to do it.
b) we don’t know whether he did it or not.
c) he didn’t do it.
d) he did it.
e) he wasn’t able to do it.

12. (UFRGS) In “he should have reached the door of 10 Downing Street”, the form
“should have reached” indicates the same as:
a) must have reached.
b) was expected to reach.
c) will have reached.
d) can have reached.
e) was going to reach.

13. (MACKENZIE) Look how wet the ground is. It ________ last night.
a) might be sunny
b) must have rained
c) should have been warm
d) may be snowing
e) ought to dry

14. (UNESP) Universities abroad may __________ a more recent result when the IELTS
was taken a long time ago.
a) requires
b) require
c) to require
d) requiring
e) required

15. (UNIRIO) How dreadful for them to sense, as they must, the lack of enthusiasm
of the audience.
“As they must” sugere:
a) obrigaçã o.
b) advertência.
c) recomendaçã o.
d) deduçã o.
e) permissã o.

16. (UFSM) Research suggests the cause may lie internally, in terms of abnormal
biological functioning.
A melhor traduçã o para o segmento “may lie” é:
a) pode estar.
b) consegue revelar.
c) parece encobrir.
d) deixa passar.
e) permite enganar.

17. (UNESP) Yoshinori Haga said that __________ a great potential and that, among
other reasons, toys __________ used for entertainment.
a) there was – can be
b) there is – were
c) there were – couldn’t be
d) there was – could be
e) there wasn’t – can’t be

18. (UFRGS) The verb which can be classified both as a FULL VERB and a MODAL is:
a) gets.
b) turned.
c) dares.
d) envisions.
e) enjoy
19. (UFRJ) In the sentence “May I ask why you do it?”, the word that best replaces
the capital word is:
a) should.
b) ought to.
c) need.
d) can.
e) must.

20. (FATEC) Assinale a alternativa que apresenta o significado correspondente mais

pró ximo a “Sales may get a boost”:
a) Sales are going to get a boost.
b) Sales are able to get a boost.
c) Sales will get a boost.
d) Sales must get a boost.
e) Sales might get a boost.

21. (MACKENZIE) In which of the statements does the modal MUST express
necessity?
a) There’s somebody in the other o ce. It must be my boss!
b) You mustn’t smoke here!
c) She must be a very good student. She always gets A’s.
d) I must go right now!
e) Who must he be? There are lots of people around him!
22. (UFPEL) A expressã o “business may sound complicated and expensive” traz
consigo a idéia de:
a) permissã o.
b) possibilidade.
c) certeza.
d) habilidade.
e) obrigaçã o.

23. (UFRRJ) In the sentence, “the casualties were fewer than might have occurred”,
the underlined word implies:
a) possibility.
b) permission.
c) necessity.
d) assumption.
e) capacity.

24. (UFRGS) Consider the following sentences:

I. The magic should come from another place.
II. It would be necessary for the magic to come from elsewhere.
III. The magic had to come from any other place.
Which of them means the same as the sentence The magic would have to come
from somewhere else?
a) Only I.
b) Only II.
c) Only III.
d) Only I and III.
e) Only II and III.

25. (UNESP) Indique a sentença que expressa um conselho:

a) When depressed, teens always ask for adult guidance.
b) Teens see more of what life has to o er and then they become depressed.
c) Adolescents who never make new friends become depressed.
d) Adolescents don’t try to make new friends when they feel depressed.
e) When teens become depressed, they should try to ask an adult for help.

26. (PUCRIO) In the sentence “One reason TV can become instructive, when parents
explain why children should not copy what they saw”, the word can expresses the
idea of:
a) ability.
b) request.
c) inability.
d) permission.
e) possibility.

27. (JFS) Fill in the following sentence correctly: In my opinion, Marla __________
study harder. She __________ be approved, but she __________ improve.
a) can – could – ought
b) should – can –must
c) ought to – should – can
d) should –must – cannot
e) ought – can – must
28. (EFOMM) Mark the correct alternative.
a) We had better not to call him today.
b) I ought to read this book, oughtn’t I?
c) John is eighteen, so his sister must to be twenty.
d) I suggested she added this book to the list, and she finally would.
e) Last year I lived with my boyfriend but I knew I can live with my parents again at
any time.

29. (ESCOLA NAVAL) Which is the correct option to complete the excerpt below?
The Legacy of Hartlepool Hall
'[...] Where did you get this recipe for roast chicken, my dear? Quite delicious.'
'It's the same thing we have every day, Daddy,' replied Annabel.
Is it really? It tastes quite different this week. Do you have a good cook at Hartlepool
Hall, Edward? Is Mrs. Horton still there? But she ______ be. She ______ be dead by now.
'

(TORDAY, Paul. The Legacy of Hartlepool Hall. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson,
2012)
a) might not /can't
b) can't /will
c) can't /must
d) shouldn't/mustn't
e) shouldn't /can't
30. (ESCOLA NAVAL) In which alternative is the idea expressed by the modal verb
INCORRECTLY stated in brackets?
a) In China, there might be 10 million teenage internet addicts. (Possibility)
b) It must be hard for him to work and study at the same time. (Obligation)
c) You mustn't park here or you'll receive a fine. (Prohibition)
d) Could you lend me your book for a week? (Request)
e) If you're getting fat you should go on a diet. (Advice)

01. b) possibility.
02. e) ability – necessity
03. c) Can
04. c) Você pode me ensinar o caminho?
05. b) I can’t afford a new car.
06. b) could
07. b) continue
08. b) leave
09. a) couldn’t
10. d) rather do
11. b) we don’t know whether he did it or not.
12. b) was expected to reach.
13. b) must have rained
14. b) require
15. d) dedução.
16. a) pode estar
17. d) there was – could be
18. c) dares.
19. d) can.
20. e) Sales might get a boost.
21. d) I must go right now!
22. b) possibilidade.
23. a) possibility.
24. b) Only II.
25. e) When teens become depressed, they should try to ask an adult for help.
26. e) possibility.
27. b) should – can –must
28. b) I ought to read this book, oughtn’t I?
29. c) can't /must
30. b) It must be hard for him to work and study at the same time. (Obligation)