26/9/2020 Test English - Prepare for your English exam

Modal verbs – permission, obligation, prohibition, necessity

 Exercises  Explanation

Exercises: 1 2 3

Exercise 2
Choose the correct options. For each question, choose TWO correct options .

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1 It's beautiful! Thanks, but you ______ anything for me.

a. needn't have bought

b. needn't buy

c. mustn't have bought

d. shouldn't have bought

 When something was not necessary but we did it, we can use both didn’t need to + infinitive and needn’t
have + past participle.
 We can also use shouldn't have bought with a similar meaning.
 Needn't buy has a present or future sense, not past. And mustn't have bought doesn't make any sense.

2 We'll ______ be more careful about what we say in the future.

a. have to

b. must

c. need to

d. be able

 We use need to/have to or don’t need to/don’t have to + infinitive to say that something is or is not
necessary.
 We cannot say will must. And we say be able + to.

3 You ______ see a specialist to check that knee.

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a. need about cookies and how to change your cookie settings

b. ought to I agree

c should have
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c. should have

d. 'd better

 We can use ought to + infinitive or had better + infinitive to talk about actions that someone should or
Grammar » B2 Grammar lessons and exercises » Modal verbs – permission, obligation, prohibition, necessity » Page
shouldn't do.
2  The other two forms are grammatically incorrect.

4 When you get a new employee, you ______ work so hard any longer.

a. won't must

b. won't have to

c. shouldn't

d. won't need to

This question was not answered

 We use need to/have to or (not) need to/(not) have to + infinitive to say that something is or is not necessary.

5 The effects ____ last 6 to 8 hours.

a. ought to

b. are meant

c. are supposed to

d. had better

This question was not answered

 We can also use be supposed/meant to + infinitive to talk about what should or should not happen.
 The same is true for ought to + infinitive.

6 They ______ us a discount because we couldn't sleep in the room that we had booked.

a. must have offered

b. 'd better offered

c. ought to have offered

d. should have offered

This question was not answered

 We can use should/ought to + have + past participle to talk about things that didn't happen but that it was a
mistake; we regret them not happening.
 The form must have + past participle is used to make deductions. They must have offered a discount means
'I'm sure they offered a discount'.

7 If we ______ to have midnight snacks, why is there a light in the fridge?

a. aren't meant

b. shouldn't

c. aren't supposed

d. don't have

This question was not answered

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 We can also use be not supposed
aboutto/be not
cookies meant
and how to to + infinitive
change to express
your cookie settings obligation not to do something.
 The form don't have to means don't need to which doesn't make sense in this sentence.
I agree

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8 When I was at school, we ______ wear a uniform.

a. ought to

b. had to

c. were supposed to

d. must

This question was not answered

 We can use had to or was/were supposed/meant to to express past obligation.

 We use must to express obligation to, but it is only used with a present or future meaning.
 We use ought to + infinitive to express advice, but it doesn't have a past meaning.

9 We ______ do the dishes today; we can leave them for tomorrow.

a. needn't

b. don't have

c. mustn't

d. don't need to

This question was not answered

 We can use both don’t need to or needn’t + infinitive to say that it is unnecessary to do something.
 Mustn't is used to express prohibition or obligation not to do something, which doesn't make sense in this
sentence.
 We can say don't have to do (NOT don't have do).

10 Visitors ______ stay at night.

a. aren't permitted

b. aren't allowed to

c. hadn't better

d. mustn't

This question was not answered

 We can use mustn't or not be allowed to to express prohibition or lack of permission.

 We can say that something isn't permitted + to + infinitive.
 The form had better is affirmative, not negative.

Exercises: 1 2 3

Related tests:

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Can, could, be able to about cookies and how to change your cookie settings
– ability and possibility
I agree

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26/9/2020 Test English - Prepare for your English exam

have to, must, should

– obligation,
prohibition, necessity,
advice

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I agree

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