REVISING THE MODAL VERBS

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MODAL VERBS
Modal verbs do not use the s in the 3rd person singular and are followed by a verb without to, with the
exception of have to.
CAN/CANT: We use can + verb to express ability, possibility and permission. We also use cant when we
believe that something is not possible.
I can swim fast
You can use my umbrella
Can I go out?
It cant be possible, are you joking?
COULD/COULDNT: We use could + verb to express ability and possibility in the past.
I could swim fast when I was three years old
She could pass her exams
BE ABLE TO: We use be able to with the same meaning as CAN. The difference is that BE ABLE TO can be
used in more verb forms than CAN & COULD (present/past).
I havent been able to sleep recently.
WOULD/WOULDNT: We use this modal when we think of something that is not real, we just imagine
that.
It would be nice to buy a new car, but I cant afford it.
HAVE TO: We use have to + verb to talk about obligation.
You have to be here at one oclock
DONT HAVE TO: We use dont have to + verb to express lack of obligation.
You dont have to get up early.
SHOULD/SHOULDNT: We use should + verb to give suggestions and advice.
We should make the party here
You should go by taxi
We shouldnt go to the party tonight because tomorrow we have an exam.
MUST: We use must + verb to express obligation.
You must have a license to drive
MUSTNT: We use mustnt + verb to express prohibition.
You mustnt go when the light is red

REVISING THE MODAL VERBS

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MAY: We use may to express possibility and permission.
You may pass your exam if you study harder.
You may go to the trip with your classmates.
MIGHT: We use might to talk about probability, which is less possible than may.
It might rain tomorrow.
NEEDNT: We use neednt when we talk about something which is not necessary to be done.
You can come with me if you like, but you neednt come if you dont want to.

MODAL PERFECTS
The modal perfects work in a different way than the usual modal verbs. The difference is in the verb that
follows them. That is to say that the verb we use after the modal perfects has to be in the past participle
form.
COULD HAVE: We use could have when we talk about a possibility in the past which didnt happen. In
other word something that could happen but didnt happen.
I could have wait for you if I had known that you were coming.
WOULD HAVE: We use would have when we imagine situation or actions in the past, but things that
didnt happen.
They helped us a lot. I dont know what we would have done without their help.
SHOULD HAVE: We use this modal when we express something we expect to happen in the past. In other
words, something that it wasnt made but it would have been the right thing to do. If we use SHOULDNT
HAVE we want to express just the opposite idea.
You missed a great party last night. You should have come, why didnt you?
MUST HAVE: We use must have to express a supposition or certainty that something is true.
Theres nobody at home. They must have gone out.
MAY HAVE/MIGHT HAVE: We use these two modal perfects to talk about a possibility of something in
the past.
They may have been asleep.
She might not have known about the accident.

REVISING THE MODAL VERBS

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ACTIVITIES
Complete the sentences. Use can, cant, could or couldnt.

Most dogs _______ swim.

Emma is ill today, so she ________ come to school.

Im sorry I __________ come to your party yesterday.

Justin is a great sportsman! He ________ swim when he was three years old!

________ I have ice cream, please?

_________ you ride a bike ten years ago?

Complete the sentences. Use should or shouldnt.

Everybody _______ smile every day!

You ________ clean your teeth every day.

Bobby _________ eat a lot of chocolate.

You _________ throw your rubbish on the ground.

Teenagers _________ help in the house.

Complete the rules for your school. Use must or mustnt.

Students ________ be rude to teachers.

Everybody ________ come to class on time.

Students and teachers _______ eat during lessons.

Teachers __________ prepare their lessons properly.

Students _________ use their mobile phones during lessons.

Students _________ bring a letter from their parents or doctor if there are ill.

You _______ wear trainers in sports lessons.

Circle the correct answer.

You mustnt / should send him a card, its his birthday on Tuesday.
When I was two, I couldnt / didnt have to climb a tree.

You can / must wear sunglasses today. The sun is very bright and it will hurt your eyes.
Ive hurt my leg. I have to / cant stand up.

Climb to the top of the mountain. You dont have to / can see the sea from there.

Henry mustnt / doesnt have to forget to do his homework.

You shouldnt / have to go there. It is dangerous!

Choose a suitable modal verb and complete the sentences.

can cant may could couldnt must

mustnt should shouldnt

You ______ drive before you are 18.

Sue ______ see well without her glasses.

After the accident he ______ play football anymore.

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REVISING THE MODAL VERBS

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They follow the instructions to get the best results.

You ______ stop at the stop sign.

Shes an interpreter. She ______ speak four languages.

He ______ eat so much. Hes getting fat.

Jim ______ already read at the age of tree. Hes brilliant.

______I speak to you for a moment, please sir?

Which alternatives are correct? Sometime only one alternative is correct, sometimes two are correct.

What time will you be at home tonight? Im not sure. I __________ late.
a. May be

b. might be

I cant find the theatre tickets. They _____________ out of my pocket.

a. Must have fallen

b. should have fallen

b. could have stopped

c. dont need to leave

I ___________ out but I didnt feel like it, so I stayed at home.

a. Could go

c. managed to stop

Weve got plenty of time. We ________________ yet.

a. Mustnt leave b. neednt leave

c. have to fall

Somebody ran in front of the car as I was driving. Fortunately I ___________ just in time.
a. Could stop

c. can be

b. could have gone

c. must have gone

Im sorry, I _______________ come to your party last week.

a. Couldnt come b. couldnt have come c. wasnt able to come

What do you think of my theory? Im not sure. You _____________ right.

a. Could be

c. might be

I couldnt way for you any longer. I ___________ and so I went

a. Must go

b. must be

b. must have gone

c. could have gone

At first they didnt believe me when I told them what had happened, but in the end I _________
them that I was telling the truth.
a. Was able to convince

b. managed to convince

c. could convince

Complete the sentences using can, could, might, must, should, would. There are some sentences that need
must have, should have Use the negative form when needed.
A. Im hungry.
B. But youve just had lunch. You ____________ (be) hungry already.
A. I havent seen our neighbours for ages
B. No, they __________________ (go) away.

REVISING THE MODAL VERBS

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A. Whats the weather like? Is it raining?
B. Not at the moment, but it _______________________ (rain) later.
A. Where has Julia gone?
B. Im not sure. She _______________________________ (go) at the bank.
A. I didnt see you at Michaels party last week.
B. No, I had to work that night, so I ___________________________ (go).
A. I saw you at Michaels party last week.
B. No, you ___________________ (see) me. I didnt go to Michaels party.
A. What time will we get to Sues house?
B. Well, it takes about one and a half hours, so if we leave ar

3 oclock, we

__________________________ (get) there by 4.30.

A. When was the last time you saw Bill?
B. Years ago. I _____________________________ (recognize) him if I saw him now.
A. Did you hear the explosion?
B. What explosion?
A. There was a loud explosion about an hour ago. You ____________________________ (hear) it.
A. We werent sure which way to go. In the end we turned right.
B. You went the wrong way. You _________________________ (turn) left.