CAN CAN'T MUST MUSTN'T

ability, request or lack of ability, necessity, obligation, prohibition

possibility/permission certainty that certainty that
something is something is true. "You mustn't exceed
"I can jump high!" impossible, lack of the speed limit"
(ability) permission. "You must study if
"Can I go to the toilet, you want to pass the
please?"(request) "She can't speak exams" (necessity)
"You can eat in the Japanese" (lack of "You must follow the
canteen" ability) rules" (obligation)
(possibility/permission) "He can't be home "It's ten o'clock, so
so early" (certainty James must be
that something is home." (certainty
impossible) that something is
"You can't go to the true)
toilet now" (lack of
permission)

ACTIVITY 1: Read the sentences carefully and choose the correct modal verb:

a) David is 14 years old. He

have a driving licence.
b) You
respect other people's opinions.
c)
you pass me the butter, please?
d) If you have a problem with one of your classmates, you
ask for help.
e) Jane is so intelligent! She
speak five languages.
f) Students
wear a uniform at Eton College. It is a famous private school in England.
g) Kelly, you
clean you room before going out with your friends!
h) You
smoke in hospitals. It's totally forbidden!
i) How
I get to Oxford Street from here, please?
j) What she told me
be true. I'm certain it is false.
k) What she told me
be true. I'm certain it is true.
l) Anne always arrives home at 9 o'clock. It's 9:30 now, so she
be home.
m) Alex always arrives home at 8 o'clock. It's 7:15 now, so he
be home.
n) These are the house rules: You
listen to loud music. You stay out of your bedroom after midnight. You keep your
bedroom clean. You
be home before ten in the evening. These rules are strict!
ACTIVITY 2: Write sentences with MUST/MUSTN'T and the information below:

a) Students/go to school on Fridays. .

b) You/use a mobile phone in class. .
c) Children/revise before exams. .
d) We/help our parents with the housework. .
e) You/copy your classmates' answers! !

ACTIVITY 3: Look at the pictures and write true sentences:

a) Look! That's a police car. They are speeding, so they

b) Anne is an excellent swimmer. c) What a lovely drawing. d) Anne doesn't usually get
good marks, but she had a very good mark in the maths exam. e) That woman has a
very valuable ring with a big diamond. f) The man in the picture is wearing a thick coat
and a scarf.

ACTIVITY 4. Write sentences to match the functions. Use CAN, CAN'T, MUST
or MUSTN'T:

a) You/eat in the classroom. (prohibition) .

b) Students/memorize vocabulary. (obligation) .
c) We/watch TV after doing our homework. (permission/possibility)
.
d) She/speak Chinese. (lack of ability) .
e) David/run 900 metres in 4 minutes? (ability) ?
f) She/be Italian (certainty that something is impossible) .
g) He/come from the USA. (certainty that something is true) .