Modals & Conditionals exercises

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ENGLISH TEST – YES, YOU CAN!

MODALS

BE CAREFUL!

They can’t be conjugated (EXCEPT: Be able to, have to, be allowed to)

They are followed by another verb in bare infinitive (without TO) (EXCEPT: be able to, have to, be allowed

to, ought to, need to)

CAN:

• Abilities: I can run more than 10 km.

• Possibility: John can help you if he doesn’t work.

• Informal request: Can I have some water?

CAN’T:

• Lack of ability: I can’t run more than 100 km.

• Lack of possibility: You can’t go to Paris.

• Prohibitions: You can’t smoke here.

• “Impossibility” when you know for sure that something is impossible: Mary can’t be cleaning the

kitchen because she left two hours ago.

COULD:

• Ability in the past: She could swim 300 metres.

• Possibility in the Present and in the Past: You could pass the exam.

• Second conditional.

• Formal request: Could you help me with the shopping, please?

COULDN’T:

• Lack of possibility in the past.

• Lack of ability in the past.

CAN’T/COULDN’T HAVE + PAST PARTIC IPLE:

• Impossibility in the past: John can’t have bought a new car since he was fired last week.

COULD HAVE+ PAST PARTIC IPLE:

• Possibility in the past but shows a criticism or irony: Chris could have phoned before paying us a

visit.

BE ABLE TO: No es lo mismo que el CAN.

• You haven’t acquired “the knowledge” to do something but due to the circumstances you


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succeed (or not) in your objective: The students were able to pass the exam despite not having

studied before.

BE ALLOWED TO:

• Give permission.

MUST:

• External obligation (rules, laws…): You must turn right.

• Strong advice (almost obligation).

• Certainty. We know for sure that something is true: This diamond must cost a fortune.

MUSTN’T:

• Prohibition.

MUST HAVE + PAST PARTIC IPLE:

• Certainty in the past.

HAVE/HAS TO – NEED TO:

• Internal obligation.

• Personal necessities.

DON’T HAVE TO – D0N’T NEED TO:

• Lack of obligation in the present: You don’t have to do this homework.

HAD TO:

• Obligations in the past. (We can use NEED TO too)

DIDN’T HAVE TO – DIDN’T NEED TO:

• Lack of obligation in the past. So the activity wasn’t done.

NEEDN’T HAVE + PAST PARTIC IPLE:

• Lack of obligation in the past. But something ended up doing it.

OUGHT TO – SHOULD – SHOULDN’T:

• Positive or negative advice.

SHOULD / SHOULDN’T HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE:

• Advice in the past but it shows criticism.

MAY:

• Very formal requests: May I come in, please?

• Possibility in the present or future (50%)

MIGHT:

• Remote possibility in the present or future (10%)


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MAY / MIGHT HAVE + PAST PARTIC IPLE:

• Possibility in the past.

EXERCISE 1: Rewr i te the sentences us ing the modal verb in brackets .

1. It’s possible that Jane will visit Switzerland next year. (COULD)

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2. I’m thinking about taking Spanish lessons. (MAY)

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3. I’m sure they’ll be at home by now. (MUST)

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4. James definitely isn’t eighteen yet. (CAN’T)

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5. It’s possible the weather will be sunny tomorrow. (MIGHT)

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6. I’m sure that Mr.Smith didn’t leave home. (CAN’T)

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7. Perhaps she has gone to stay with her mother. (MIGHT)

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8. It’s possible that Mr.Smith committed a crime. (MAY)

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9. I’m certain that he buried something in the garden. (MUST)

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10. Perhaps he won the lottery. (COULD)

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11. I’m sure he bought a new car. (MUST)

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12. I’m sure he’s not a teacher. He’s too well dressed. (CAN’T)

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13. This water is possibly dangerous. (COULD)

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14. Politics is sometimes really boring. (CAN)

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15. I advice you to see a dentist (SHOULD)

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EXERCISE 2: Rewr i te the sentences us ing a modal verba l .

1. It isn’t necessary for you to take a jacket.

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2. You aren’t allowed to talk during the exam.

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3. It’s forbidden to park here.

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4. I advise you to study harder.

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5. He is obliged to go to the police station twice a week.

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6. Tom knows how to speak Spanish.

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7. It isn’t possible that that is our plane.

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8. It isn’t necessary to take a thick coat.

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9. I am certain you haven’t seen John because he is on a trip.

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10. It is possible that Jake is in his room.

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11. Perhaps Anita didn’t get the text message.

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12. I advise him to give up smoking.

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13. I didn’t have the ability to cook when I was younger.

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14. Eating chewing – gum in the class is prohibited.

Students __________________________________________________________

15. There was an obligation to turn off the mobile phone.

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16. It is unnecessary for you to come.

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CONDIT IONALS

ZERO

• True facts (IF + SUBJECT + PRESENT SIMPLE, SUBJECT + PRESENT SIMPLE)

If you heat water up to 100ºC, it boils.

• Commands (IF + SUBJECT + PRESENT SIMPLE, IMPERATIVE)

If you go to the cinema, be quite.

F IRST

• Possible situations (IF + SUBJECT + PRESENT SIMPLE, SUBJECT + WILL / WON’T + INFINITIVE)

(If you don’t hurry, you’ll miss the bus)

SECOND

• Hypothetical situations (IF + SUBJECT + PAST SIMPLE, SUBJECT + WOLD/WOULDN’T +

INFINITIVE)

If I had a lot of money, I would have an helicopter.

ATTENTION:

I / HE / SHE / IT + WERE or WAS. We use WERE to give advice: If I were you, I would visit a doctor.

THIRD

• A regret from the past

• Impossible things

(IF + SUBJECT + PAST PARTICIPLE, SUBJECT + WOULD/WOULDN’T + HAVE + PAST

PARTICIPLE)

If I had studied more, I would have passed the exam.

MIXED CONDITIONALS (Second and third)

We have two possibilities:

• When something from the past (3rd conditional) affects our present or future (2nd conditional)

(IF + SUBJECT + PAST PERFECT, SUBJECT + WOULD/WOULDN’T + INFINITIVE)

If I had taken a pain killer two hours ago, I would feel better now.

• A present situation that affected us in a past situation.

(IF + SUBJECT + PAST SIMPLE, SUBJECT + WOULD/WOULDN’T + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE)

If I had FCE passed, they would have employed me.

ALTERNATIVES TO IF :

• UNLESS = IF NOT

• SHOULD: Only if you have the chance.

(Should you see Sarah, tell her I phoned yesterday)


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EXERCISE 3: Under l ine the most su i tab le verb forms in each sentence.

1. If the machine stops / will stop, you press / will press this button.

2. I can’t understand what he sees in her! If anyone treats / treated me like that, I am will be /

would be extremely angry!

3. If you help / helped me with this exercise, I will / would do the same.

4. According to the timetable, if the train leaves / left on time, we will / would arrive at 5.30.

5. If it is / will be fine tomorrow, we go / will go to the coast.

6. If we find / found a taxi, we will get / would get there before the play starts.

7. It’s quite simple really. If you take / took this tablets every day, then you will lose / would lose

weight.

8. I don’t like this flat. I think I will be / would be happier if I live / lived in a house in the country.

9. I don’t know how to play baseball, but I’m sure that if I will do / did, I will play / would play a lot

better than anyone in this awful team!

10. If I phone / phoned you tonight, will you be / would you be in?

11. What bad luck! If Alan didn’t fall / hadn’t fallen over, he would win / would have won the race.

12. If you invited / had invited me last week, I would be able / would have been able to come.

13. I’m sure your letter hasn’t arrived yet. If it came / had come I’m sure I had noticed / would have

noticed it.

EXERCISE 4: Rewr i te each sentence, beginn ing as shown. Do not change the

meaning.

1. I didn’t have an umbrella with me so I got wet.

I wouldn’t _________________________________________________________

2. I will call the police if you don’t leave me alone!

Unless ___________________________________________________________

3. In the snowy weather we don’t go to school.

If _______________________________________________________________

4. Without Jack’s help, I wouldn’t have been able to move the table.

If _______________________________________________________________

5. Make me some coffee, and I’ll give you one of my biscuit.

If _______________________________________________________________

6. If you hadn’t told me about Sue’s hair, I wouldn’t have noticed.

Unless ___________________________________________________________

7. If you see Peter, tell him to be here at 8.00

Should ___________________________________________________________

Education

Modals & Conditionals exercises