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By SANJIB DEBTA
Modal verbs are used to express functions such as:

•Permission
•Ability
•Obligation
•Prohibition
•Lack of necessity
•Advice
•possibility
•probability
Fill in the blanks with correct modals.

1) He knew that he _______ (Would/ must) be able to reach office in time.

2) You ______ (dare/ could) not enter my house again.
3) I _____ (can’t/ couldn’t) write what you spoke.
4) _______ (Might/ May) I use your car, please?
5) You ______ (would / must) go in now and meet the doctor.
6) I _______ (would/ should) love to teach these children.
Uses of Modal ‘Will’

1) It expresses pure future (Possibility ) with second and third person as

subjects.

2) It shows willingness, intention, promise, determination with the first

person as a subject.
Examples of Modal ‘Will’ :
1) You will die of a heart attack. (Possibility)
2) The prime minister will hoist the flag. (Possibility)
3) I will meet you again. (Promise)
4) I will need your help. (Willingness/ intention)
5) He will achieve his goals. (Determination)
6) Will you go with me. (Request)
Uses of Modal ‘Would’
It expresses past habits, polite request, wish/ preference or an imaginary condition.
Examples of Modal ‘Would’ :

1)My mother would always make me my favourite dishes. (Past habits)

3) Would you get me a glass of water, please? (Polite request)
4) I would like to see the owner. (Polite request)
5) I wish you would be here. (Wish)
6) I would rather have food at home than outside. (Preference)
7) I would buy a house if I won the lottery. (Preference)
Uses of Modal ‘Shall’

1) It expresses pure future (Possibility ) with the first person as the subject.
2) It is used to ask for advice, suggestions, requests, etc. with the first
person in the interrogative.
3) it is used to express command, threat, warning, promise, assurance,
determination, etc. with the second and third person as the subjects.
Examples of Modal ‘Shall’ :
1) We shall go to school tomorrow. (Possibility)
2) I shall teach you to dance. (Possibility)
3) Shall I bring a glass of fresh juice for you? (Request)
4) Shall I close the door? (Advice)
5) Shall we go to the market tomorrow? (Suggestion)
6) You shall get a reward for your achievement. (Promise/ Assurance)
7) You shall go to your room. (Command)
8) They shall win the match. (Determination)
Uses of Modal ‘Should’

1) It is used to express duty, obligation, advisability or desirability.

2) It is used to express a purpose after ‘lest’.

Examples of Modal ‘Should’ :
1) We should go to school every day. (Duty)
2) You should not be late for work. (Obligation/ Desirability)
3) You should exercise more often. (advisability)
4) Leave on time, lest you should miss the train. (should after lest)
1. If I knew his address, I _________ go to his home.

A. have to B. Should C. Would D. Could

2. The teacher _________ teach this lesson tomorrow.

A. Will B. Need C. used to D. shall

3. That was a lovely place from where we _________ see the lake.

A. Can B. Could C. can be D. could be

4. You are suffering from high fever. You _________ consult your doctor.

A. Could B. had to C. would have D. must

Uses of Modal ‘May’

To express possibility, permission, wish, faith, hope.

May indicates a weak possibility whereas ‘might’ indicates a weaker possibility

Examples of Modal ‘May’ :

1) It may snow in the evening. (Possibility)

2) May I go now, sir? (Permission)
3) May God always be with you. (Wish, faith or hope)
Uses of Modal ‘Might’

It is used to express less possibility, permission or a guess.

Example of Modal Might :

1) It might rain today. (Less possibility)

2) Might I go to get the files? (Permission)

3) That might be the new guard. (Guess)

Uses of Modal ‘Can’

It is used to express Strong possibility, ability or capacity.

Examples of Modal ‘Can’ :

1) Anyone can be the thief. ( Strong Possibility)

2) He can stay awake for 2 days. (Ability/ Capacity)

Uses of Modal ‘Could’

It is used to express ability or capacity in the past, polite request or a possibility under
certain circumstances.
Examples of Modal ‘Could’ :
1) He could run very fast in his youth. (Ability/ Capacity in the past)
2) Could you wait for him? (Polite request)
3) If we had money, we could have bought a house. (Possibility under certain
conditions)
4) Could I take your laptop for a week ? ( Permission )
5) Could you open the door , please ? ( Polite request)
7) I ______ (used/ would / could) eat 5 bananas at a time when i was young.

8) You _____ (ought / can / must/ will) see the lawyer at once.

9) ______ (Would / May/ Might) god protect you from the pain and agony.

10) It _______ (could / might / would/ may) be cold in the evening, I know as I have
visited there before .
 5. He ...........be given warm welcome if he wins the tournament.

(A) Will (B) Shall

6. It is possible that Christopher Marlowe ..................have written plays for

Shakespeare.

(A) Might (B) could

7. You ............... have repeated it. It wasn't really necessary.

A) can't B) couldn't C) needn't D) shouldn’t

8. You look as if you are having trouble with your homework. ____ you like me to help
you with it?

A) Could B) Did C) May D) Would E) Shall

Uses of Modal ‘Must’
It is used to express obligation/ duty, necessity, compulsion, prohibition, emphatic advice, determination,
conclusion/ interference, certainty/ strong probability.

Examples of Modal ‘Must’ are given below:

1) We must not steal money from anyone. ( Duty)

2) You must follow the orders of your boss. (Obligation)
3) I must reach work on time. (Necessity)
4) He must do as I say. (Compulsion)
5) You must not smoke in public places. (Prohibition)
6) You must see a dentist at once. (Emphatic advice)
7) We must not quit before We get your dream job . (Determination)
8) The students must be in their classes at this time. (Certainty)
Uses of Modal ‘Ought’

It is used to express the subjects obligation or duty and also it is used to give advice.

Examples of Modal ‘Ought’ :

1) I ought to love my parents. (Obligation/ Duty)

2) We ought not to cheat anyone. (Duty)
3) You ought to practise for more than 5 hours a day if you want to clear the Police SI
Examination. (Advice )
Uses of Modal ‘Used to’

It is used to express past habits or the existence of something in the past.

Examples of the Modal ‘Used to’ :

1) I used to go swimming every morning. (Past Habits)

2) There used to be a door at this place long ago. (Existence of something
in the past)
9. You ____ a tie on Friday, they don’t let men into the restaurant unless they are
wearing a tie.

A) would wear B) must wear C) should wear

D) may wear E) could wear
10. You ____ some more appointments to get some more business. You’re never going to
achieve your sales target at this rate.

A) used to make B) were making C) should make

D) Could make E) would make
11. The rock band _________play very well last year. Now they are much better.
A. couldn't B. shouldn't

C. wouldn't D. can't

12. You … drink from that bottle. It is dangerous.

a) mustn’t b) shouldn’t
c) needn’t d) Both A & B
Uses of Modal ‘Dare’
It is used at places where we need to show courage. It is generally used in negative and
interrogative way.

Examples of Modal Dare :

1) I dare not fail in my exams. (Negative)

2) How dare you interrupt us? (Interrogative)

Uses of Modal ‘Need’

It chiefly shows the absence of necessity or compulsion in the negative and

interrogative sentences.

Examples of the Modal Need :

1) You need not worry about work.

2) Need I talk to her.

13. She ..............read a book while watching TV during her
school days.

(A) Would
(B) Could

14. They ...............to play cricket every day when they were in the college.

(A) Used
(B) Ought
15. A friend of mine told me that I ____ India in the summer, because that is the
monsoon season, when it is both too hot and too wet .

A) didn’t use to visit B) needn’t visit

C) can’t D) might not visit E) shouldn’t visit

16. There are some sounds that are out of the range of the human ear but which dogs
___ .

A) could hear B) have heard C) can hear

D) Must hear E) used to hear

17. Our father never earned much money, but he ____ something nice for us whenever
he ____.

A) should buy / did B) can / did

C) would buy / could D) must have bought / can
E) May buy / has
18. ____ you do me a favour please? ____ you ask Mrs. Green if the interview room
is available?

A) Might / May B) May / Could

C) Shall / Might D) Could / Would
19. I was falling asleep while I was typing my speech last night. The only way I ____
awake was by drinking lots of strong coffee.

A) ought to stay B) can stay

C) may stay D) could stay

20. ____ you hold this shelf here while I go and get my hammer?

A) May B) Must C) Should D) Will E) Shall

21. I am really surprised that Robby hasn’t signed up yet for skiing holiday this year. He
____ the first to book every year.

A) will be B) may have been

C) could be D) used to be
22. Your mother ____ a restaurant. She is such a wonderful cook. If she opened a
restaurant, I’m sure it would be full every night.

A) Can open B) used to open

C) should open D) would open
23. Please Mum, ____ I watch the film tonight? I have finished all my homework.

A) would B) may C) can D) should

24. I really missed Istanbul, where I lived when I was younger. On summer evenings, we
____ along the coast by the sea of Marmara when the sun was setting .

A) ought to walk B) must walk

C) would walk D) might walk
25. You haven’t got time to do the gardening. I think you ____a gardener, don’t you
think so?

A) ought to employ B) have employed

C) shouldn’t employ D) can employ

26. The money in our pocket_____ far less today than it_____ ten years ago.

A) could buy / would B) can buy / had

C) should buy / had D) might buy / should
27. Emergency supplies ______ the earthquake area as soon as possible by the help of
UN. It is crucial.

A) must reach B) should have reached

C) May reach D) can reach

28. When I entered the kitchen I realized that the chocolate cake was all gone!
Someone____ it.

A) would have eaten B) should have eaten

C) must have eaten D) need to have eaten
29. Scientists fear that a patient's immune system_____ stem cells unless they _____
genetically identical to the patient's other cells.

A) may reject / are B) may have rejected / were

C) could reject / had been D) would be rejected / were

30. _________ you please show me the right way to the airport?
A. Can B. Could

C. May D. Should

31. He _________ not help laughing.

A. Could B. Shall

C. Ought D. will
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32. The passengers _________wear their seat belts at all times.

A. Can B. need C. must D. could

33. We _________ go to the concert if the rain stops. We don’t know for sure.

A. Will B. might C. would D. can