EXERCISES

(speculations about the past, inversion of word order for emphasis, future tenses)

I Circle the most suitable modal (a, b, c or d)

1. Jack __ have cheated on his test. He didn’t prepare for it at all and he still got a good grade.
a) might b) could c) must d) can’t
2. You __ have worn that dress to the ball. It was too informal.
a) must not b) should not c) could not d) can’t
3. A: We’re out of bread. B: I __ have got some on my way home, but I didn’t think we needed any.
a) should b) can’t c) might d) could
4. She __ left the house yet. Her car is still parked in the driveway.
a) must b) can’t c) should d) could

II Complete the sentences with the past forms of CAN, MIGHT, SHOULD, or MUST.
1. I ______________________ (not leave) my wallet at the restaurant. I paid for the taxi afterwards. 2. You _____________________ (park)
close by. We wouldn’t have had to walk for twenty minutes. 3. A: I wonder why Mark didn’t answer my calls? B: It’s not like him. He
_____________________ (be) really busy. 4. A: I was so nervous at the exam I thought I’d fail. B: You ____________________ (not be) too
nervous. You passed with flying colors. 5. A: Why isn’t Phil here yet? B: I don’t know. He ____________________ (miss) his train. 6. Why did
you leave your house alone at night? You ____________________ (attack).

III Complete the sentences with the following phrases. Some sentences have emphasized word order and some don’t.
never have on no account hardly had I not only r arely does only when
1. You should _____________________ make private phone calls at work.
2. _____________________ she leave her homework for the last minute.
3. She was _____________________ late, but also refused to apologize for it.
4. _____________________ she got into the house did she realize that she had been robbed.
5. _______________________ I seen such an ugly dress before.
6. ________________________ closed my eyes when the phone rang.
IV Rewrite the sentences using inversion (emphasized word order).
1. You shouldn’t drive a car without a driver’s license under any circumstances.

_________________________________________________________________________

2. I had no sooner left the house than I remembered that I had forgotten my cell phone.

________________________________________________________________________

3. We have seldom experienced such terrible service.

_________________________________________________________________________

4. I realized only then how tired she looked.

_________________________________________________________________________

5. She in no way agrees with the decision you have made.

________________________________________________________________________

V Put the verbs in brackets into Will Future, Going to Future, or Present Continuous (for future)
1. We ___________________ (go) to Madrid next week.
2. Mark’s mother believes that he __________________ (be) famous when he grows up.
3. We__________________ (have) a birthday party tonight.
4. Look at those clouds. It _____________________ (rain) soon.
5. Do you think your brother ______________________ (help) you?
6. ___________________ (you, see) your dentist today? B: No, I ____________________ (see) him tomorrow.
7. Listen! It sounds like there ______________________ (be) a fight.
8. A: What _____________________ (you, do) about it? B: Absolutely nothing.

VI Future Perfect Simple, Future Perfect Continuous, Future Continuous.

1. He said he’d be back at 8. We _______________________ (have) dinner then.
2. By the end of the day, all the children _______________________ (leave) the school building.
3. In ten minutes’ time, she _______________________ (watch) TV for six hours.
4. At 3 o’clock tomorrow, I ___________________ (work) in my office.
5. Do you think that you ____________________ (buy) your dream house by this October?
6. By next week, the police ___________________ (look) for the thief for nine months.
7. This time next week, I ___________________ (drive) to my parents’ in Ontario.
8. In two years’ time, I _____________________ (work) as a teacher for 15 years.