ability or capacity prohibition ability

ability or
or capacity
capacity permission
permission
(past)
(past)
possibility impossibility possibility
possibility

permission
permission
permission
prohibition
prohibition (with
(with

possibility
possibility
not)
not)

offer
offer obligation negative obligation past tense of may

suggestion
suggestion deduction or prohibition polite request

threat, command
threat, command remote possibility
logical conclusion advice

moral obligation or
request
request past of will duty or moral
desirability
offer
offer habitual action in the obligation
advice order
order past advice

determination
determination

A) Now insert the adequate modal verb:

1. Be careful, that ___________________ happen again! (POSSIBILITY)

2. Children ______________________________ obey their parents. (MORAL

OBLIGATION)

3. __________________________ you give your email? (REQUEST)

4. I really think you ____________________________ see a doctor. You have been ill
for a whole month! (ADVICE)

5. ________________________ we go to the theatre tonight? (SUGGESTION)

6. It ____________________________ happen, but I dont think so! (REMOTE

POSSIBILITY)

7. That ____________________________ be John! He was at the shopping just a while

ago! (IMPOSSIBILITY)

8. When my grandfather was young, we ____________________ go for a walk in the

woods. (HABIT IN THE PAST)
 B) Fill in the gaps with one of the following modal verbs: can, could, cant,
couldnt.

1. I __________ play the guitar, but Jack ___________.

2. I ______________ sing when I was sixteen, but now I______________.
3. My classmates were speaking too loud and I ______________ hear what the teacher
said.
4. Now I ______________ swim pretty well, but two years ago I ______________.
5. Horses _____________ run very fast, ________ they?

C) Fill in the sentences using: must, mustnt, neednt.

1. You _________________ pay attention to what he says. He is joking.

2. She ________________ answer all the questions if she wants to get the job.

3. Children _________________ be accompanied by their parents. Otherwise, they

wont be accepted.

4. You __________________ run up and down the stairs.

5. He ________________ say anything. Its a secret.

D) Complete the sentences using the words listed in the box below:

can could must might should

1. Ted's flight from Amsterdam took more than 11 hours. He ______________ be

exhausted after such a long flight. He ______________ prefer to stay in tonight and
get some rest.

2. If you want to get a better feeling for how the city is laid out, you
______________ walk downtown and explore the waterfront.

3. Hiking the trail to the peak _______________ be dangerous if you are not well
prepared for weather changes. You _____________ research the route a little more
before you attempt the ascent.

4. Please make sure to water my plants while I am gone. If they don't get enough
water, they __________________ die.