Use one of the modal verbs in brackets to fill each gap.

1 They (can/might)________________ be away for the weekend but I'm not sure.
2 You (may/might)________________ leave now if you wish.
3 (Could/May)________________ you open the window a bit, please?
4 He (can/could)________________ be French, judging by his accent.
5 (May/Can)________________ you play the piano?
6 Listen, please. You (may not/might not)________________ speak during this exam.
7 They (can't/may not)________________ still be out!
8 You (couldn't/might not)________________ smoke on the bus.
9 With luck, tomorrow (can/could)________________ be a sunny day.
10 You (can/might)________________ be right but I'm going back to check anyway.
11 The exam (can/might)________________ be easy. You never know.
12 I (can/might)________________ go to the party but I'm not sure yet.
13 Students (may/might)________________ study in the library from five to nine in the
evening.
14 (May/Could)________________ you lend me 40 Euros til Monday?

Fill the gaps with either don't have to or mustn't in the correct form
 1
Sally! You ___________ say rude words like that!
2 Tommy! You ___________ pick your nose in class. It's really disgusting.
3 You ___________ finish the exercise now. You can finish it at home.
4 James ___________ go to church if he doesn't want to.
5 You ___________ drive so aggressively. You'll end up killing someone.
6 Helen ___________ make racist comments. It makes her seem really ignorant.
7 David ___________ answer your emails. There's no law about it.
8 It's OK. You ___________ pay now. You can pay me at the end of the month.
9 You ___________ stay out so late without ringing me. I was worried sick.
10 You ___________ let the cats sleep on my clean shirts. Look. They're covered in hairs.
11 You ___________ have lunch with my parents. I'm not forcing you.
12 I ___________ forget to phone Granny. It's her birthday tomorrow.

Check through the different uses.

TYPE USE MODAL VERBS EXAMPLE

expressing ability CAN María can drive.

1
 2 asking for permission MAY, CAN, COULD Could I borrow your pen?
3 giving permission MAY, CAN You can use my phone.
refusing permission, You may not talk in the
4 CAN'T, MAY NOT
prohibition exam
5 requests CAN, COULD Can you pass me the salt?

Look at the following phrases and write in which type you think it is. Then use one of the
modal verbs in brackets to fill the gaps.

TYPE
1 _______ You (may/could)________________ leave now if you wish.
2 _______ (Could/May)________________ you open the window a bit, please?
3 _______ (May/Can)________________ you play the piano?
4 _______ Listen, please. You (may not/could not)________________ speak during
this exam.
5 _______ You (can't/might not)________________ smoke on the bus.
6 _______ (Can't/May)________________ I make a call on your mobile?
7 _______ Do you know if Mark (can/may)________________ sing?
8 _______ (Can't/May)________________ I sit here, please?
9 _______ Caroline, your friends (can/could)________________ stay the night if
they want to. They're perfectly welcome.
10 _______ I'm sorry but you (can't/may)________________ use the computer until
after I've finished.
11 _______ (May/Could)________________ you lend me 40 Euros til Monday?
12 _______ Listen, please. Students (may/could)________________ study in the
library from five to nine in the evening.
 Fill the gaps with need, needn't or should

1 Remember you ___________ to take a torch and a tin-opener when you go camping.
2 You ___________ go to the shop. I've already bought the milk.
3 You ___________ say sorry to your teacher for being late. It's only polite.
4 You ___________ bother washing up. I'll do it in the morning.
5 She ___________ go to church if she doesn't want to. It's not obligatory.
6 If you want to pass all your exams, you ___________ to make a good study plan.
7 If there's anything you ___________ , let me know.
8 You ___________ go and see Granny. You know how happy it makes her.
9 Cheese and biscuits ___________ to be kept in tupperware containers; otherwise the
cheese goes hard and the biscuits go soft.
10 You ___________ pay now. You can pay me next week.
11 Clare and Simon ___________ bring their car. There's plenty of room for them in ours.
12 Families ___________ spend more time talking, instead of just watching the telly.

Modal Verbs 1
Modals and Related Expressions

can could have to 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
dramatic weather changes. You research the route a little more before you
attempt the ascent.

4. When you have a small child in the house, you leave small objects lying
around. Such objects be swallowed, causing serious injury or even death.

5. A: you hold your breath for more than a minute?

B: No, I can't.

6. Jenny's engagement ring is enormous! It have cost a fortune.

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

8. I speak Arabic fluently when I was a child and we lived in Egypt. But after
we moved back to Canada, I had very little exposure to the language and forgot
almost everything I knew as a child. Now, I just say a few things in the
language.

9. The book is optional. My professor said we read it if we needed extra

credit. But we read it if we don't want to.

10. A: Where is the spatula? It be in this drawer but it's not here.
B: I just did a load of dishes last night and they're still in the dish washer. It
be in there. That's the only other place it ....be.

11. You take your umbrella along with you today. The weatherman on the news
said there's a storm north of here and it rain later on this afternoon.

12. we pull over at the next rest stop? I really use the bathroom and I
don't know if I hold it until we get to Chicago.

13. Oh no! Frank's wallet is lying on the coffee table. He have left it here last
night.

14. A: I borrow your lighter for a minute?

B: Sure, no problem. Actually, you keep it if you want to. I've given up
smoking.

15. I believe she said that to Megan! She insult her cooking in
front of everyone at the party last night. She have just said she was full or
had some salad if she didn't like the meal.

16. Do you chew with your mouth open like that? Geez, it's making me sick
watching you eat that piece of pizza.

17. Mrs. Scarlett's body was found in the lounge just moments ago, and it's still warm!
Nobody has left the mansion this evening, so the killer be someone in this
room. It be any one of us!!!

18. A: I don't know why Denise starting crying when I mentioned the wedding.
B: It have been what you said about her brother. Or, perhaps she is just
nervous. After all, the big day is tomorrow.

19. you always say the first thing that pops into your head? you think
once in awhile before you speak?

20. I was reading the book last night before I went to bed. I never took it out of this
room. It be lying around here somewhere. Where it be?

.
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