Modal verbs

TASK 1. Underline the correct option. Make sure that the modal verb you use sounds natural in the given situation.

1. Shall/Can/Might I borrow your pen? Mine can’t/won’t/doesn’t write.

2. I must/need/can go to the bank. I haven't got any money.

3. Lizzie was able/could/might spell her name before she was three.

4. Should/May/Will you help me with the shopping, please?

5. You needn’t/shouldn’t/don’t need go to the post office. I'll go later.

6. You must/need/have to study hard for your exams if you want to pass them well.

7. You must/are/should to be at work by nine o'clock.

8. No reporters couldn’t/were able/could to approach the scene of the accident.

9. We can/ought to/may phone Mary. It's her birthday today.

10. What time must/shall/will I pick you up from work?

11. You shall/must/ought pay the bills today. - I know. I promise I won't forget.

12. Will/May/Shall we go to the beach tomorrow? - Yes. That's a great idea.

13. I’m going to the cinema. Do you want to come with me? - No, thank you. I should/ought/have to do my homework.

14. You needn’t/mustn’t/couldn’t put that shirt in the washing machine. - I know. It has to be dry-cleaned.

15. Was your suitcase very heavy? - Yes, but I was able/could/couldn’t carry it by myself.

16. Shall/Would/Could I speak to the manager, please? - I'm afraid he's busy at the moment.

17. The Madisons brought us a bottle of vintage wine for our anniversary. - They needn't/mustn’t/shouldn't have done that, but it was very kind.

18. Could/Will/Shall you tell me where the bank is, please? - Certainly. It's on the corner.

19. You mustn't/needn’t/shouldn’t clean the floor. - Oh, have you done it already?

20. Would/Shall/Will we go for a walk this afternoon? - Why not? It's a lovely day.

21. Can/Shall/Will I have a milkshake, please? - Yes, of course. What flavour would you like?

22. May/Shall/Will I borrow your pen, please? - Yes, of course. Be my guest.

23. Shall/Will/Would I pour you a glass of orange juice? - Yes, please. Could/May/Shall you put some ice in it, too?

24. I put your blue trousers in the washing machine. - Oh, no! You shouldn’t/mustn't/can't have done that. They have to be dry-cleaned.

25. Where's Alan? - Well, it's five o'clock. He ought/must/need to be here by now.

26. What are you doing on Saturday morning? - I have to/will/should go into the office for a couple of hours.

27. I want to get a better job. - You may/should/need get some more qualifications.

TASK 2. Match the parts of the sentences with modal verbs with their synonymous expressions.

	Modal Verbs		Expressions Similar to Modal Verbs
1	You mustn’t write in library books.	a	You are supposed to …
2	She can’t be 55. She looks much younger.	b	It wasn’t necessary for us to … (but we did)
3	You needn’t use this article for your course paper.	c	Let’s …
4	They ought to report to the boss immediately.	d	He managed to …
5	She didn’t need to buy all that stuff.	e	They had better …
6	You should report to your boss as soon as you come to work.	f	It’s forbidden…
7	May I borrow your dictionary when you finish with it?	g	I’m sure they are …
8	We needn’t have warned her about that delay.	h	Do you mind if I …?
9	He was able to save enough money to buy a car.	i	You are to…
10	Shall we tell the headmaster all the truth?	j	It isn’t necessary for you to …
11	You must hand in this paper tomorrow.	k	I’m certain you can’t …
12	They must be fourth year students.	l	It wasn’t necessary for her …

TASK 3. Rephrase the following sentences using modal verbs or expressions similar to modal verbs. Options are possible. Follow the example.

Example: It is possible that Sue will be late this evening. - Sue may/might/could be late this evening./ Sue is likely to be late this evening.

1. I'm sure David isn't going to the party tonight.

2. It isn’t necessary for you to call Mr. Stevenson. I’ve done it already.

3. The guests are supposed to arrive at 8 o'clock.

4. It wasn't necessary for Toby to go to school today.

5. I advise you to book a table in advance.

6. They are obliged to wear helmets at work.

7. You are to wait here until the manager arrives.

8. Steve managed to repair the bike after trying for two hours.

9. Perhaps we will go to Italy for a holiday next summer.

10. We are obliged to wear a uniform for school.

11. You aren't allowed to run in the corridors.

12. How about inviting some friends over to dinner?

13. It isn't necessary for you to buy me a present.

14. Do you mind if I use your telephone?

15. Would you like me to clean the windows for you?

16. How about going for a walk this afternoon?

17. Oh, you’ve bought some bread. It wasn’t necessary for you to do that.

TASK 4. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate form of the modal verbs or their equivalents given in the box. Options are possible.

can

could

to have to

to be able to

shouldn’t

don’t have to

might

mustn’t

must

can’t

How to be a good friend

The problem is that as we get older we feel we ________ (1) sort out our own problems, and we keep these to ourselves, rather than talking about them. So if one of your friends suddenly becomes more withdrawn than usual, it ________ (2) mean that they have a problem, but don't feel they ________ (3) tell you about it.

Listen

If your friend wants to tell you about their problem, you ________ (4) listen! In most cases, you ________ (5) actually do anything about it, but allowing them to talk about their feelings ________ (6) help them to work it through.

Wait for the right time

You ________ (7+8) get practical information that ________ (9) help your friend. You probably think you ________ (10) tell them what you want to straightaway, but there's a right time for everything. So you ________ (11) force the information on them; instead, wait until they actually ask for it.

Don't bring it back to you

You ________ (12) talk about your own experiences to show you understand your friend's problems. If your friend doesn't ask if anything similar has happened to you, you ________ (13) go on about your own problems, past or present. Remember, the most important thing you ________ (14) do for your friend is just be there for them.

TASK 5. Rephrase the following sentences using modal verbs or expressions similar to modal verbs. Options are possible.

1. It would be great if taking exams were voluntary for students.

2. It is possible that this book will help you in your research.

3. Joe promised to call tonight, so I'm sure that's him on the phone now.

4. Working on the shop floor is a compulsory part of the training for everyone.

5. It's forbidden to go near the launch pad.

6. I advise you to send them a letter of apology.

7. I'm certain Andrew didn't reveal your secret.

8. Let's discuss this over lunch.

9. Do you think Laura will leave for Chicago earlier than she thought?

10. It isn't necessary for Ron to pay for our tickets.

11. I'm sure Robert realised how wrong he was.

12. It is possible that they will sell their house.

13. It wasn't necessary for her to come early, but she did.

14. Everyone is supposed to pay taxes to the government.

15. I'm sure the books are in this cupboard.

16. Let's have lunch in half an hour.

17. It isn't necessary for you to work on Saturday.

18. I advise you to open a bank account.

19. It wasn't necessary for him to help me, but he did.

20. I'm sure she understood what I was saying.

21. Perhaps he took the train to work this morning.

22. Is it possible that Jane is leaving school at the end of this week?

23. We'll probably have a party for Simon's birthday.

24. I'd better start studying for my exams soon.

25. Perhaps Alice is at the hairdresser's now.

26. It is possible that she has forgotten to call.

27. It wasn't necessary for him to buy a gift, but he did.

28. I advise you to have your car serviced.

29. I’m sure Sylvia didn't mean what she said.

TASK 6. To illustrate the difference in the meaning of the parts of sentences given below, put each of them into some situation to make their meaning clear in context. Translate your sentences into your mother tongue.

1	They might tell me but... They might have told me but ... They may have told me but . . . They may tell me but ...	5	She can't have lunch because ... She couldn't have lunch because … She can't be having lunch because ... She can't have had lunch because ...
2	We could have tea early because... We were able to have tea early because…	6	He may not have seen her, so ... He may not be seeing her, so ... He may not see her, so...
3	You mustn't tell her that ... You needn't tell her that ... You don't have to tell her that ... You oughtn't/shouldn’t to tell her that ...	7	He can't have seen her, so ... He can't be seeing her, so ... He can't see her, so…
4	I should have trusted him but … I shouldn't have trusted him but ... I needn't have trusted him but ... I had to trust him but ... I didn't have to trust him but ...

TASK 7. Each of these groups contains pairs of sentences that share the same meaning. Match the sentences that mean the same. Translate them into your mother tongue.

	English	Your Mother Tongue
A	We'll probably have lunch soon. Maybe we'll have lunch soon. We'll possibly have lunch soon. We might as well have lunch soon. We might well have lunch soon. We've got nothing better to do, so let's have lunch soon.
B	You must be joking. You have to tell a joke. You've got to tell a joke. You can't be serious.
C	Can you speak English? Do you know how to speak English? I'd like you to speak English. Can you speak English, please?
D	You'd better tell him sooner or later. You ought to tell him sooner or later. You have to tell him sooner or later. You've got to tell him sooner or later.
E	You needn't tell him yet. You don't have to tell him yet. You can't tell him yet. You mustn't tell him yet.
F	It wasn't a good idea to tell her. I shouldn't have told her. I didn't have to tell her. It wasn't necessary to tell her.
G	You probably won't take too long. You shouldn't take too long. I advise you not to take too long. It shouldn't take you too long.
H	You might have told me. I'm not sure whether you told me. You may have told me. You should have told me.

TASK 8. Correct mistakes in the sentences below.

1. You should to exercise regularly.

2. I must study very hard last week.

3. Although he didn't feel well yesterday, he could finish his work.

4. Need I to pay cash for my ticket?

5. The shops can be very crowded tomorrow because it's the last shopping day before Christmas.

6. May this letter be from my friend?

7. Could you lend me some money? - Of course I could.

8. I could watch the late film on TV last night.

9. Could you help me lift this box? - Of course I could.

10. I could go to Emma's party last Saturday.

11. Need I to book a table in advance?

12. May these flowers be from your fiancé?

13. Although she was exhausted, she could finish the race.

14. You should to brush your teeth twice a day.

15. I must have my car repaired last month.

16. The bus can be late today because there is a lot of traffic.

17. They shouldn't to have called the police.

18. We were not late as Paul could change the flat tyre by himself.

19. She needn't to have bought such an expensive dress.

20. You have to come! The Prime Minister has to give a speech at the conference tomorrow.

21. That mustn’t have been Paul. He's on holiday in Jamaica.

22. They might have been forgotten about our meeting.

23. Jack has had to see the General Manager yesterday. -

TASK 9. Which one of the verbs given can complete all three sentences in each set?

1. used to - will - would

1. Most days my father _______ get up first and make breakfast.

2. When I was training for the marathon, I _______ run over 100 kilometres a week.

3. We went back to Dublin to see the house where we _______ live in the 1960s.

2. should - ought to - must

1. Students _______ be encouraged to type their assignments.

2. Whose car is that outside Bill's house? - It _______ belong to Bill's sister. I heard that she's staying with him this weekend.

3. You _______ have some of this cake. It's brilliant!

3. needn't - mustn't - don't have to

1. I'll be quite late getting to London, but you _______ change your plans for me.

2. I'm afraid I owe quite a lot of money to the bank - but you _______ worry about it.

3. Next time, read the small print in the document before you sign it. You _______ make the same mistake again.

4. must - need to - have to

1. People with fair skins _______ be particularly careful when they go out in the sun.

2. The Browns _______ have won the lottery - they've bought another new car!

3. We _______ give at least six months' notice if we want to leave the house.

5. may - could - might

1. Ray told me that someone had bought the old house next door he _______ be right about that, I wondered.

2. The major changes to the timetable _______ cause delay and confusion.

3. I asked in the bookshop about Will Dutton's latest book, but all they _______ tell me was that it would be published before the end of the year.

TASK 10. Find 13 mistakes in this letter and correct them.

Dear Jane,

As you can already know, we must start looking for a new receptionist in our office last month. Mr Brown, our boss, can have chosen some-one who already worked in another department but he didn't able to find anyone suitable, so he got to advertise in the local paper. There ought have been a lot of applicants but surprisingly only a couple of replies came in and only one of those was suitable.

I told Mr thrown that he had better to get in touch with her at once. He decided we needn't to phone, her as there was no hurry, and we must as we1l send her a card. Unfortunately we heard no more from her, so we've had to start advertising again - in vain so far.

For the moment, the job's being done by Mr Brown's son who hasn't to be working really because, he's unhelpful and sometimes he should be quite rude to visitors. I haven't to tell you that we're all pretty fed up with the situation. Well, as I don't have to say any more, I'll stop there.

TASK 11. Tick the sentences that are acceptable. Correct the others.

1. You might as well come with us if you've nothing better to do.

2. I won't be in the country when you two are tying the knot.

3. How much longer do you think that noise will be going on?

4. I don't think I shall be able to join you until 8.30.

5. Shall I look OK if I wear this?

6. You shall have to put two first-class stamps on this envelope.

7. I think a weekend away would be a good idea.

8. Presumably we would be laughed at if we tried it in public.

9. If he maintains his current rate of progress, he should sail through the exam.

10. Looking like that, he should compare unfavourably with the other candidates.

11. According to statistics, smokers shouldn't live as long as non-smokers.

TASK 12. Translate into English, using modal words or modal expressions wherever possible.

	Ukrainian	Russian
1	Я здивований, що бачу тебе. Хіба ти не повинен бути сьогодні на роботі?	Я удивлен, что вижу тебя. Разве ты не должен быть сегодня на работе?
2	У Великобританії не можна паркуватися на подвійній жовтій лінії. Тому, хто порушить це правило, доводиться платити великий штраф.	В Великобритании нельзя парковаться на двойной желтой линии. Тому, кто нарушит это правило, приходится платить большой штраф.
3	Шэрон обіцяла бути тут о 9 годині. Вона мабуть забула про нашу зустріч.	Шэрон обещала быть здесь в 9 часов. Она должно быть забыла о нашей встрече.
4	Не може бути, щоб Роберт загубив цю книгу! Я його тисячу разів попереджала, що вона унікальна! – Не хвилюйся ти так. Книга ще може знайтись.	Не может быть, чтобы Роберт потерял эту книгу! Я его тысячу раз предупреждала, что она уникальна! – Не расстраивайся так. Книга еще может найтись.
5	Тобі допомогти? Ці ящики занадто важкі, щоб ти їх носила сама. – Не турбуйся. Дон обіцяв мені допомогти. Він повинен прийти з хвилини на хвилину.	Тебе помочь? Эти ящики слишком тяжелые, чтобы ты их таскала сама. – Не беспокойся. Дон обещал мне помочь. Он должен прийти с минуты на минуту.
6	Ця машина знову не заводиться! – Хіба ти не кажеш це щоранку?! Ти давно вже повинна була відвезти її до механіка.	Эта машина снова не заводится! – Разве ты не говоришь это каждое утро?! Ты давно уже должна была отвезти ее механику.
7	Хоча альпініст був важко поранений, він зумів добратися до вершини гори.	Хотя альпинист был тяжело ранен, он смог добраться до вершины горы.
8	Тобі не потрібно було розігрівати суп. Зараз так жарко, що ми могли з'їсти його прямо з холодильника.	Тебе не нужно было разогревать суп. Сейчас так жарко, что мы могли съесть его прямо из холодильника.
9	Можливо, вона готувалася до цього іспиту довгий час, але її знання по цьому предмету настільки слабкі, що вона однаково б його не здала.	Возможно, она готовилась к этому экзамену долгое время, но ее знания по этому предмету настолько слабы, что она все равно бы его не сдала.
10	Миссис Бойл не потрібно було прибиратися на кухні, тому що коли вона ввійшла туди, вона побачила, що хтось із її гостей зробив це за неї.	Миссис Бойл не нужно было приводить в порядок кухню, так как когда она вошла туда, она обнаружила, что кто-то из ее гостей сделал это за нее.
11	Ти чуєш цей дивний звук? Як ти думаєш, що це? – Не знаю. Можливо, це чайник на кухні. У нас теж дуже гучний чайник.	Ты слышишь этот странный звук? Как ты думаешь, что это? – Не знаю. Возможно, это чайник на кухне. У нас тоже очень шумный чайник.
12	На жаль, відносини межу цими двома країнами завжди були не такими гладкими, як вони могли б бути, будь там при влади інші люди.	К сожалению, отношения межу этими двумя странами всегда были не такими гладкими, как они могли бы быть, будь там у власти другие люди.
13	Генрі з нетерпінням очікував того часу, коли він зможе заробляти досить грошей, щоб не залежати від свого вітчима.	Генри с нетерпением ожидал того времени, когда он сможет зарабатывать достаточно денег, чтобы не зависеть от своего отчима.