Tema 3. Modal Verbs. Exercise

7/28/2019 Tema 3. Modal Verbs. Exercise

1/5

Tema 3. - Some Modal VerbsThe verbs can, could, may, might, will, would, shall (mainly British English), should,

must, have to and ought to are called modal auxiliary verbs.

They are used before the infinitives of other verbs, and add certain kinds of meaning

connected with certainty or with obligation and freedom to act. Needand dare, and

the expression had bettercan also be used like modal auxiliary verbs.

Characteristics:

Modal verbs have no s in the third person singular.

She may know his address ( NOT She may.)

Questions, negatives, tags and short answers are made without an

auxiliary verb, just invert the subject and the modal verb or add not or n't to the

modal verb:

Can you swim? (NOT Do you can swim?)

After modal auxiliary verbs, we use the infinitive without to of other verbs.

Ought to and have to are exceptions.I must water the flowers. (NOT I must to water)

Progressive, perfect and passive infinitives are also possible.

I may not be working tomorrow.

She was so angry she could have killed him.

Modal verbs do not have infinitives or participles (to may, maying, mayed

do not exist), and they do not normally have past forms (though would, could,

should and might can sometimes be used as past tenses of will, can, shall and

may). Other expressions are used when necessary.

People realy had to work hard in those days. (NOT People really musted

work)

Id like to be able to skate (NOT Id like to can skate)

Meanings:

general ability

can

could

Eagles can fly at 80 kph

Molly could speak French


2/5

to be able to They havent been able to win

permission

may

can

could

might

May I come in? / May I smoke?

Can I stay? / Can I go?

Mum, could I go and play in the

garden?Might I make a suggestion?

Possibility and

probabili

ty

May

Might

Can

Could

It may rain this afternoon

It might snow too

Can it be true?

They could come by train

impossibility Cant That cant be true

prohibition

Must not

Cant

May not

You must not disobey your father

You cant park here

You may not smoke here

request

May

Might

Can

Could

Will

Would

May I have some coffee, please?

Might I have another cake?

Can you help me, please?

Could you lend me a pen, please?

Will you please open the door?

Would you please stop the car?

Deduction or

suppositi

on

Must

Cant

Will

Would

Should

Ought to

She must be about seventy

She cant be as old as that

That will be the doctor

You would be about five then

They should be here by now

They ought to have arrived by now

order

Must

Will

You must be silent

You will sit there

Necessity and

obligatio

n

Must

To have to

You must come tomorrow too

I have to be there before Monday

Invitation WillWould

Will you have another whisky?Would you like another cup?

Advice

Should

Ought to

Must

You should give up smoking

You ought to slow down

If you come to Granada you must

visit the Alhambra

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

(Can, Could, May, Might)


3/5

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 from Sheffield, judging by

his accent.

5. (May/Can)___________ you swim?

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 cooler

day.

10. You (can/might)___________ be right but I'm going back to check the times.

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

"UNDERGROUND MUSIC"

Waiting for the Metro in Paris is a lot more pleasant nowadays, thanks to a project

orchestrated by transit officials.

(are, can, could, do, does, has, have, must, should, would)


4/5

As Jim Bittermann reports, it brings a whole new concept to the term "underground

music."

It may be rush hour in the Paris underground, but these days down here there are good

reasons to slow down a little when commuting is more than just getting from A to B,

when the transit 1._________ be too rapid.

Increasingly, the underground tunnels Parisians know as the Metro echo with music

worth being late for. That wasn't, and even today, isn't always the case. There's never a

shortage of those risking starvation by attempting to sing for their supper, and there's

always someone to appreciate an artist struggling.

In the past, without much success, authorities periodically 2.__________ tried to eject

the would-be musicians who inflict themselves on the travelling public. But with their

numbers continually growing, the situation seemed to be getting out of hand.

Transit officials came to the conclusion that if they 3.__________ not beat the

musicians at their game, perhaps they 4.__________ perhaps join them, or at least

organize it a little better. So just over a year ago, they set up auditions to select the 300-

or-so performers who 5.__________ become the official underground musicians of

Paris.

And it is now an ongoing process. Every six months, all the officially sanctioned

musicians, minus those who 6.__________ found real work and plus those looking for

a underground gig, 7.___________ appear at a Metro audition.

Antione Nazo, a one-time guitar plucker himself, video tapes them all for approval by a

music committee. "We 8. __________ not have the pretension that we

9.__________ selecting music virtuosos," Nazo says. "We just put ourselves in the

shoes of the riders. We want good quality music, not too aggressive, and as diversified

as possible."

Diversification 10.__________ never been a problem in Paris. A city which, as a

current exhibition on street musicians plainly illustrates, has more than two centuries of

encouraging the artists who work its boulevard.

For those selected to be the Metro's officially sanctioned performers, there's a badge

which ensures they 11.__________ work uninterrupted by transit authority police, and

which often guarantees as well a good well travelled spot in a busy metro station, which


5/5

some musicians, when the mood of the travelling public is right, 12.__________ mean

as much as 600 euros a day in income.

Of course, that 13.__________ not happen every day to everyone. But many down

here are not looking for a fortune.

Paul Suzan said that "the people who play here play because they first of all, they love

the music. But it keeps you in shape and gives you some pocket money".

After a year in operation, Metro authorities believe their official musicians

14.__________ raised the quality of underground performances and the mood of the

travelling public, and prove that there's more than one way an underground

15.__________ move people.

Documents

Tema 3. Modal Verbs. Exercise