Exercises - MODAL VERBS

1 – Complete these sentences. Use can’t or couldn’t + one of these verbs :

(eat – go – go – see – sleep – understand)

1 ) I was tired but I couldn’t sleep .

2 ) She spoke very quickly. I couldn’t understand her.

3) His eyes are not very good. He can’t see very well.

4) I wasn’t hungry yesterday. I couldn’t eat my dinner.

5 ) He can’t go to the concert next Saturday. He’s working.

6 ) He couldn’t go to the meeting last week. He was ill.

Comentário: could é passado de can. Nas frases acimas, couldn’t foi usado nas frases em
destaques para acompanhar outras frases escritas com verbo no passado. Veja no Exemplo: “She
spoke very quickly ( ela falou rápido demais) . I couldn’t understand her. ( Eu não consegui
compreendê-la).”

2 – What do you say in these situations? Use Can you …? / Could you…? / Can I…?

1 (You are carrying a lot of things. You want me to open the door for you.)

You say to me : Can/Could you open the door (for me), please ?

2 (We are having dinner. You want me to pass the salt.)

You say to me: Can / could you pass (me ) the salt , please ?

3 (You want me to turn off the radio.) Can /could you turn off the radio , please ?

4 (You want to borrow my pen.) Can / could I borrow your pen , please ?

5 (You are in my house. You want to use my phone.) Can / could I use your phone, please ?

6 (You want me to give you my address.) Can/ could you give me your address , please ?

Comentário : Nas situações acima , can e could foram usados nas frases para expressarem uma
solicitação. Exemplo : Can /Could you open the door (for me), please? ( Você pode/poderia
abrir a porta para mim, por favor?) ; Can / could you pass (me ) the salt , please ? ( Você
pode/poderia me passar o sal, por favor?)

3 – Write sentences with may or might.

1 (perhaps I will go to the cinema) I may go to the cinema .

2 (perhaps I will see Tom tomorrow) I may / might see Tom tomorrow.

3 (perhaps Kay will be late) Kay may /might be late .

4 (perhaps it will snow today) It may/ might snow today.

5 (perhaps I will wear my new jeans) I may/ might wear my new jeans.
Comentário : Os verbos modais may e might usados nos exemplos acima, expressam nas frases
uma possibilidade de que algo possa acontecer. O verbo might , que é passado de may, irá
expressar uma possibilidade remota . Ex.: Na frase “ I might see Tom tomorrow.” ( Eu poderia
ver Tom amanhã.), temos uma ideia mais remota de que o encontro com Tom aconteça do que
quando dizemos: “I may see Tom tomorrow”( Eu posso ver Tom amanhã.)

These sentences are negative.

6 (perhaps they will not come) They may/ might not come.

7 (perhaps I will not go out tonight) I may/ might not go out tonight.

4 – Complete the sentences. Use must + one of these verbs :

(be – buy – go – go – help – hurry – learn – meet – phone – read – wash – win)

1) we must go to the bank today. We haven’t got any money.

2 ) I must hurry I haven’t got much time.

3 ) She’s a very interesting person. You must meet her.

4 ) I forgot to phone Dave last night. I must phone him today.

5 ) You must learn to drive. It’s very useful.

6 ) This is an excellent book. You must read it.

7 ) We must buy some food. We’ve got nothing for dinner.

8 ) My hair is dirty. I must wash it.

9 ) I must go to the post office. I need some stamps.

10) I have a big problem. You must help me.

11 ) The game tomorrow is very important for us. We must win.

12) You can’t always have things immediately. You must be patient.

Comentário : Nas frases acima, o verbo modal MUST foi usado para expressar uma obrigação ,
um dever, uma necessidade. Ex.: “ we must go to the bank today. We haven’t got any money.“ (
Nós temos que ir ao banco hoje. Nós não temos nenhum dinheiro.) . Observe que neste exercício,
ao encaixar os verbos nas frases, é fundamental que se tenha uma noção da tradução de algumas
palavras de cada frase , a fim de identificar qual verbo terá o sentido mais adequado para se
encaixar a cada frase, de acordo com a tradução de cada verbo e de cada frase.

5 – Complete the sentences. Use have to or has to + one of these verbs :

(do – read – speak – travel – wear)

1) My eyes are not very good. I have to wear glasses.

2 ) At the end of the course, all the students have to do a test.

3 ) Mary is studying literature. She has to read a lot of books.

4) He doesn’t understand much English, so I have to speak very slowly to him.

5 ) George is not often at home. He has to travel a lot in his job.

Comentário : O uso de “have to” serve para substituir o modal must porque neste caso o uso de
“have to” expressará um dever, uma necessidade.
6 – Complete the sentences. Use should + one of these verbs:

(clean – go – read -visit – watch – wear)

1) When you play tennis, you should watch the ball.

2 ) You look tired. You should go to bed.

3) You should clean your teeth after every meal.

4) The city museum is very interesting. You should visit it.

5 ) When you are driving, you should wear a seat-belt.

6) It’s a god book. You should read it.

Comentário : o verbo modal should nas frases acima foi usado para expressar um conselho,
uma sugestão com frases escritas na forma afirmativa. Ex.: You look tired. You should go to
bed. ( Você parece cansado. Você deveria ir para cama.)

7 – Make sentences with shouldn’t … so …

1 (You smoke too much) You shouldn’t smoke so much.

2 (You work too hard) You shouldn’t work so hard.

3 (He eats too much) He shouldn’t eat so much.

4 (She watches TV too often) She shouldn’t watch TV so often.

5 (You talk too much) You shouldn’t talk so much.

Comentário : o verbo modal should nas frases acima foi usado para expressar um conselho,
uma sugestão com frases escritas na forma negative. Ex.: You shouldn’t work so hard. ( Você
não deveria trabalhar tanto.)

8 – You ask a friend for advice. Make questions with Do you think I should…?

1 (buy this jacket?) Do you think I should buy this jacket ?

2 (buy a new camera?) Do you think I should buy a new camera ?

3 (get a new job?) Do you think I should get a new job ?

4 (do an English course?) Do you think I should do an English course ?

5 (learn to drive?) Do you think I should learn to drive ?

Comentário : o verbo modal should nas frases acima foi usado para pedir um conselho, uma
sugestão . Obsertve o uso da primeira oração com Simple Present “Do you think?”( Você
acha?) seguida da segunda oração com frases escritas com o modal should + outro verbo para
expressar sugestão.

Ex.: Do you think I should buy a new camera ? (Você acha que eu deveria comprar uma nova
camera?)
9 – Write sentences with I don’t think … should … Choose from :

(stay there – phone them now – go to work today – get married)

1) It’s very late. I don’t think you should phone them now.

2) They’re too young. I don’t think they should get married.

3) That hotel is too expensive for us. I don’t think we should stay there.

4 ) You’re not very well. I don’t think you should go to work today.

Comentário : o verbo modal should nas frases acima foi usado para oferecer um conselho, uma
sugestão . Obsertve o uso da primeira oração com Simple Present “ I don’t think ”( Eu não
acho) seguida da segunda oração com frases escritas com o modal should + outro verbo para
expressar o oferecimento de uma sugestão. Ex.: It’s very late. I don’t think you should phone
them now. ( Está muito tarde. Eu não acho que você deveria telefonar para eles agora.)

10 ) Look at the pictures. What are the people saying? Use Would you like…? + one of these :

(an apple / a biscuit / some cake / some cheese / a cup of coffee / a sandwich)

1) Would you like an apple ? ( Você gostaria de uma maçã?) ou Would you like to eat an
apple ? ( Você gostaria de comer uma maçã?)

2) Would you like a biscuit ?

3) Would you like some cheese?
4) Would you like a sandwich?
5) Would you like some cake?

11 – Invite people to do things. Use Would you like to…?

1 (invite someone to come to a party next Friday)

Would you like to come to a party next Friday ? ( Você gostaria de ir para uma festa próxima
sexta?)

2 (invite someone to go to a concert on Sunday)

Would you like to go to a concert on Sunday ? ( Você gostaria de ir a um concerto no domingo?)

3 (invite someone to play tennis tomorrow)

Would you like to play tennis tomorrow ? ( Você gostaria de jogar tênis amanhã?)

Comentário : Usamos Would you like quando queremos ser gentis e educados com alguém .