1. MODAL VERBS
EXERCISE 1: Use may/might with one of the verbs in the box.
bite, break, need, rain, slip, wake
1.
Take an umbrella with you when you go out. It _____________ later.
2.
Don’t make too much noise. You __________________ the baby up.
3.
Be careful of that dog. It ________________________ you.
4.
I don't think we should throw that letter away. We _________ it later.
5.
Be careful. The footpath is very icy. You __________________.
6.
I don't want the children to play in this room. They ______________
something.
EXERCISE 2: Underline the best answer from each group in italics.
1. Bookings need / must be made at least seven days before departure.
2. In most developed countries, people mustn't / don't need to boil water
before they drink it.
3. You needn't / mustn't go on the beach when the tide's coming in. It's very
dangerous.
4. Changes in technology mustn't / needn't be a problem, but could be seen as
a great opportunity.
5. We've been told that we don't have to / mustn't be at work until 10.00
tomorrow.
6. We mustn't / needn't allow our speed of production to drop.
7. As you worked late yesterday you needn't / mustn't come until 10.00
tomorrow morning.
8. Of course the first thing I did was to call the police and I mustn't / didn’t
have to wait very long for them to get there.
9. You mustn't / needn't use the office phone for private calls.
10. You don't need to / mustn't have a university degree to become a police
officer.
EXERCISE 3: Use mustn’t or needn’t to fill the blanks:
1. You………………….. ring the bell; I have a key.
2. We ……………………drive fast; we have plenty of time.
3. We …………………….. drive fast; there is a speed limit here.
4. Candidates ………………… bring books into the examination room.
5. You ……………………….write to him for he will be here tomorrow.
6. We ……………………..make any noise or we'll wake the baby.
7. You ………………..do all the exercises. Ten sentences will be enough.
8. I want this letter typed but you……………do it today. Tomorrow will do.
9. You………………………take anything out of a shop without paying for it.
10. You………………….carry that parcel home yourself; the shop will send it.
EXERCISE 4: Complete the following sentences with: may, might, must,
mustn't, needn't
1. You ……be rich to be a success. Some of the most successful people I know
haven't got a penny to their name.
2. Jane often wears beautiful new clothes. She ………. be very rich.
3. …………. I be here by 6 o'clock? - No, you ………….
4. …………. I have a day off tomorrow? - Of course not. We have a lot of
things to do.
5. John is not at home. He ………………. go somewhere with Daisy. I
am not sure.
6. What John says……………………be true, but I very much doubt it.
7. I’ll lend you the money and you ……………. pay me back till next
month.
8. Tell her that she ……………………be here by six. I insist on it.
9. - “…………………. I read your book?”
– “Certainly.”
10. Two tablets ………………. be taken twice a day to have you recover from
the illness quickly.
EXERCISE 5: Make sentences, using should have + past participle
1. You are cold because you didn’t wear a coat.
-> You should ………………………………………
2. I am broke now because I spent my money foolishly.
-> I shouldn’t ………………………………………
3. You misspelled a word because you didn’t look it up in the dictionary.
-> You …………………………………
4. The room is full of flies because my sister opened the window.
-> My sister………………………………………
5. He didn’t have a cup of coffee. Now he is sleepy.
-> He ………………………………………
6. The little girl told a lie. She got into a lot of trouble.
-> The little girl ………………………………………
EXERCISE 6: DEGREES OF CERTAINTY: (must - may / might / could)
1. “Is Jeff a good student?” “ He ……… Although he seems to study very
little. I heard he was offered a scholarship for the next year.”
A. must be
B. could be
C. is
2. A: “The speedometer on my car is broken.”
B: “Do you think you’re driving over the speed limit?”
A: “I don’t know. I …………”
A. must be
B. might be
C. am
3. “You’ve been on the go all day. Aren’t you exhausted?”
“Yes, I …………I can’t remember when I’ve ever been this worn out.”
A. must be
B. may be
C. am
4. “Do you think the grocery store is still open?”
“It ………. I can’t ever remember what their hours are.
A. must be
B. could be
C. is
5. “Have you seen the new movie playing at the Bijou?”
“No, but it ……sad. Many people leaving the theatre seem to have been crying.”
A. must be
B. might be
C. is
6. “Where’s the chicken we had left over for dinner last night?”
“I just saw it when I got some ice cubes. It ………in the freezer.”
A. must be
B. might be
C. is

2. 7. “It’s supposed to rain tomorrow.”
“I know, but the forecast ………wrong. Weather forecasts are far from
100% accurate.”
A. must be
B. could be
C. is
8. “Do you hear that squeak? What is it?” I don’t know. It ……a mouse. Isn’t
it that what a mouse sounds like?”
A. must be
B. may be
C. is
9. “How old do you think Roger is?”
“I just looked at his driver’s license. He …….33.”
A. must be
B. could be
C. is
10. “Is China the largest country in the world, or is it Brazil?”
“Neither. It ………the Soviet Union. It has nearly three times the area of
either China or Brazil.”
A. must be
B. might be
C. is
EXERCISE 7: Choose the answer that bests completes each sentence.
1.
You've been working non-stop for ten hours. You _____ be really tired.
A. should
B. must
C. would rather D. ought to
2.
The fortune-teller predicted that _____ inherit a big fortune before the
end of this year.
A. will
B. she will
C. would
D. she would
3.
I'm feeling very tired this morning. I ____ have stayed up late last night.
A. couldn't
B. shouldn't
C. mustn't
D. to stopping
4.
You'd better _____ working so hard.
A. stop
B. to stop
C. stopped
D. to stopping
5.
He helped her, but it was not necessary. He needn't _____ her.
A. help
B. to help
C. be helping D. have helped
6.
" _____ you like to play a game of tennis?" "I'd love to."
A. Could
B. Will
C. Do
D. Would
7.
His letter is full of mistakes. He_____ the mistakes carefully before
sending it.
A. must have checked
B. should have checked
C. could have checked
D. can have checked
8.
- "I bought two bottles of milk."
- " You ____ have bought milk; we have heaps of it in the house."
A. couldn't
B. needn't
C. mustn't
D. hadn't
9.
"I left my bike here and now it's gone." "Someone ____ borrowed it."
A. must have B. should have C. couldn't have D. needn't have
10.
- "Do you remember reading about it in the newspapers?"
- "No, I _____ abroad at the time."
A. must have been B. must be C. should be
D. should have been
11.
- "The door was open." - "It ____been open. I had looked it myself and
the key was in my pocket."
A. mustn't have B. must have C. can't have D. shouldn't have
12.
The man was found unconscious at the foot of the cliff. He _____ have
fallen 200 meters.
A. needn't
B. must
C. should
D. mustn't
13.
14.
garage.
- "I heard their phone ringing."
- "You _____ hear their phone ringing. They don't have a phone."
A. couldn't
B. shouldn't
C. mustn't
D. needn't
When I've passed my driving test, I _____ hire a car from our local
A. will have B. would be able to C. can be able to D. will be able to
15.
Nobody knows how people first came to these islands. They ____ have
sailed from South America on drafts.
A. might
B. must
C. should
D. had
16.
She felt ill and _____ leave early.
A. has to
B. must
C. had to
D. ought
17.
I want this letter typed, but you _____ do it today. Tomorrow will do.
A. must
B. needn't
C. couldn't
D. mustn't
18.
The car plunged into the river. The driver _____ out but the passengers
were drowned.
A. is able to get B. could get C. was able to get D. can get
19.
The swimmer was very tired but he _____ the shore before he collapsed.
A. was able to reach B. can reach C. could reach D. has reached
20.
If a letter comes for me, _____ you please forward it to this address?
A. shall
B. could
C. must
D. should
21.
You _____ talk to other candidates during the exam.
A. shan't
B. mustn't
C. needn't
D. hadn't better
22.
You had better _____ your child so much money. It may spoil him.
A. not give
B. not to give C. to not give D. don't give
23.
You can phone me, but I'd rather you _____ it to me by e-mail.
A. to send
B. send
C. sent
D. should send
24.
The party yesterday was great fun. I think you _____ come.
A. must
B. must have C. should
D. should have
25.
We _____ bring an umbrella. It isn't going to rain.
A. have to
B. needn't
C. must
D. mustn't
26.
I would rather _____ a sleep than _____out for a walk now.
A to have / go B. have / going C. have / go
D. to have / to go
27.
Sorry, the manager went out a minute ago. You ___ five minutes earlier.
A should come
B. would come
C. should have come
D. would have come
28.
They _____ to build an addition to their hotel to accommodate their
many guests.
A. ought
B. must
C. should
D. might
29.
If you want the time, pick up the receiver and dial 8081; you ___ say
anything.
A must
B. needn't
C. mustn't
D. have to
30.
The police were suspicious at first but I _____ convince them that we
were innocent.
A. can
B. could
C. will be able to D. was able to