1

MODALS - REVISION
1. Use the perfect infinitive of the underlined verb with a suitable
modal :
e.g. I've never seen a London policeman.// You see one! You've been
in London a wekk already!
ANSWER : You must have seen one
1. I've written to Paul.
You not write. He's coming here tomorrow. You'll see him before he
gets your letter.
2. They build a two-storey house (this was the original plan), but
money ran out so they built a bungalow instead.
3. If the dog hadn't woken us we not notice the fire for several hours,
and by that time it spread to the house next door.
4. Ann:Why didn't you wait for me yesterday ?
Tom: I waited five minutes.
Ann : You wait a little longer!
5. How did Peter get there?
He come on a motorcycle (This is a possibility)
He not come on a motorcycle. He doesn't ride one.
He come hitch-hiking.
6. Why are you so late? You be here two hours ago!
7. If I'd known we'd have to wait so long I bring a book.
If I'd known it was going to so cold I not come at all!
8. Tom (looking out of the window): Fortunately that teapot didn't hit
anyone, but you not throw it out of the window, Ann! You kill someone.
9. Look at this beautiful painting! Only a very great artist paint such a
picture!
Nonsense! A child of five paint it with his eyes shut.
10. I wonder how the fire started.
Oh, someone drop a lighted cigarette. Or it be an electrical fault.
11. There is only one set of footprints, so the kidnapper carry his
prisoner out. He not do it in daylight or he be seen. He wait till dark.

2. Look at the following sentences and identify those which express

degrees of likelihood (certainty, probability,, or possibility). Categorize the
remaining sentences in terms of what their modals express (obligation,
permission, ability, willingness)

1. You can borrow the car, I don't need it.

2. He can still be at the office, it's after 9 o'clock.
3. I can't hear you very well, the line's bad.
4. That won't be the postman at the door, he's been already.
5. Will you give me a hand with this? It's so heavy.
6. John's awful. He simply won't admit that he's made a mistake!
7. A:What's that scratching noise?
B:Don't worry. It'll be the cat trying to get in.
8. He'll be at the airport by now.
9. No, you may not leave before the end.
 2
10. We may be in for a rough crossing, there's a storm coming.
11. He might change his mind, if we keep on at him.
12. You mustn't give up yet, try just once more.
13. He alweays looks so exhausted, he must have a very demanding
job.
14. If you hurry up, we could be there by 6.
15. You should drive more slowly round there, it's a dangerous corner.
16. You should have no trouble passing,, it's your best subject.

3. Fill in the gap by putting the concept expressed by the modal verb
in form(i) into the past.
1.(i) She can ski very well.
(ii)She ... really well when she was five.
2.(i) I can finish it by Friday, but it won't be easy.
(ii) I ... by Friday, but it wasn't easy.
3.(i) John can't live here. This is the wrong street.
(ii) Shakespeare ... in that house. It wasn't built until 1840.
4.(i) May I leave the room? I don't feel well.
(ii) I ... the room because I didn't feel well.
5.(i) I must check the oil before we leave.
(ii) I ... the oil before we left.
6.(i) It must be raining. Everyone has their umbrella up.
(ii)It ....The ground is wet.
7.(i) Thank you very much. You needn't give me a lift, but it's very
kind.
(ii) You ... me a lift, but it was very kind.
8. He needn't collect me from the station. I'll walk.
(ii) He ... me from the station. I walked.
9.(i) Why don't you take the exam? You might pass.
(ii) Why didn't you take the exam? You ...
10.(i) He should stop smoking before it's too late.
(ii) He ... smoking before it was too late.
11.(i) I could visit you next Sunday.
(ii) I ... you last Sunday. Why didn't you ask me?
12. (i) There's the phone. It'll be Paul.
(ii) Did he have a deep voice? It ... Paul.
13. (i) He'll sit in the armchair for hours, staring into space.
(ii) He ... in the armchair for hours, staring into space.
14. (i) Let's take the map. We may get lost.
(ii) I wonder where they are. They ...

4. Look at this unnatural monologue. Replace the words in italics with

the appropriate modals to make it sound more natural :
"Wonderful, it's Sunday and (a) not necessary for me to get up at 7
o'clock.(b) I'll possibly stay in bed a bit longer although (c) I think the
children are probably awake now and I'll (d) be obliged to get their
breakfast soon. They (e) refuse to make it for themselves.(f) It would be a
good idea for me to get up immediately because (g) perhaps they will
wreck the house. However, it is still very early and they (h) are probably
 3
not very hungry yet.(i) It would have been a ggod idea if I had put out the
cornflakes and milk yesterday evening. But all this thinking and not acting
is really silly!(j)It is really necessary for me to get up this minute. Now
where are my bedrrom slippers? - That lousy dog (k) has probably hidden
them again!(l)It would be a good idea for us to train it better, but I
suppose we (m)weren't obliged to buy it in the first place, and after all, it's
only a puppy.
Oh, I'd forgotten! (n)It's just possible that Alan will be back from his
business trip today - marvellous! One adult isn't enough to look after four
children, a puppy, and three goldfish! Why (o) did he refuse to take me
eith him? (p) It was possible for us to get his mother to come and look
after the children. Never again!"

5.Fill the gap in the second sentence by puting the concept expressed
by the modal verb in the first sentence into the negative.

a.The painting must have been stolen.

The painting ......!It's too big to get out of the room.
b. If the traffic isn't too bad, he could be here by 3.00.
He ......here until 5.00 if he gets stuck in a jam.
c. You must work hard!
You ......so hard! You're a millionaire!
d. You must work hard!
You .......so hard! Can't you see you're killing yourself?
e. I need to see a doctor.
You .......doctor. A chemist can prescribe something for you.

6. Look at the sentences below. In which of the sentences do the modal

verbs express the following?
a. ability
b. permission
c. deduction/supposition
d. future possibility
e. irritation
f. an unfulfiled possibility

1. It's very late in the day to cancel - I do think you might have let me
know a little earlier.
2. He could have been a great politician, but he chose instead to become a
priest.
3. Judging from the architecture, this photo might have been taken in
Spain.
4. I was wondering whether I could come and see you next week.
5. You can't have phoned on Tuesday, because I was in all day.
6. It was such a bad line, I couldn't hear what she was saying.
7. You could have phoned to tell us you were all right. Why on earth didn't
you ring?
8. There could be severe unrest if the economy doesn't improve before the
winter.
 4
9. Excuse me, sir. Might I ask whether you intend to stay at the hotel for
another night?
10. If I pass all my exams, I may take a year off and travel round the
world.

7. Compare the use of tense and verb forms in the pairs of sentences
below,, and discuss how the meaning changes.

1. If you will play with matches, then it's your fault if you get burnt.
If you play with matches, you might burn yourself.
2. If he doesn't come, let me know.
If he won't come, let me know.
3. Will it be all right if I use your phone?
Would it be all right if I used your phone ?
4. If I had accepted the job, I would be in Spain now.
If I accepted the job, I would be in Spain now.
5. I would come with you tomorrow if I hadn't already arranged to go to
Paris.
I would come with you tomorrow if I weren't going to Paris.