SKILL & LEVEL: GRAMMAR LEVEL 5
journalists must have thought he was not very
MODALS OF DEDUCTION
A. READING
A.1.Work with a partner and talk about the
American leader in the photo.What do you
know about him?
A.2. Read the arti cle and answer the
questi ons.
1.What did Lincoln think of slavery?
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2.What was different about him?
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3.How long did his speech last?
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4.How did Lincoln die?
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READING
From the ti me of the first English colonies in
America, Africans were brought to America as
slaves. Most of them were taken to the South,
where they worked on farms in the producti on
of sugar, cotton, and other crops. The
prosperity of the white farmers in the South
conti nued due to slaves. But many
northerners were against slavery. One of
those was Abraham Lincoln, the president who
finally brought the end of slavery in the U.S.
Today many people consider Abraham Lincoln
to be one of the greatest presidents of the
United States. However, during his presidency,
many had their doubts about his ability to
lead the country during the growing conflict
between the North and the South. Before he
became president, other politi cians did not
take him seriously. Lincoln's parents were
poor and uneducated, and Lincoln had only 18
months of schooling, but he learnt to read,
and he educated himself. Lincoln dressed in
poorly fi tti ng clothes and didn't look like the
polished politi cians of the East. One
newspaper had called Lincoln "a fourth rate
lecturer, who cannot speak good grammar."
Because Lincoln had so little schooling,
smart.
Much to his opponents' surprise, Lincoln won
the election for president in 1860. At that
time, the Southern slave owners wanted to
conti nue slavery, but Lincoln wanted to stop
the spread of slavery. What followed was the
worst internal crisis in American history: the
Civil War. More than half a million soldiers
died on both sides of the confl ict, the most of
any war that the U.S. fought in. One especially
terrible battle took place at Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania. On November 19, 1863,
President Lincoln was invited to say a few
words at the battleground. Edward Everett,
the main speaker, gave a speech that lasted
two hours in front of a crowd of almost 20,000
people. Lincoln followed Everett with a two-
minute speech. When he was fi nished, the
audience was silent. The audience may have
been surprised by the brevity (shortness) of
the speech. Some people thought he can’t
have finished as it was too short. Seeing the
reacti on of the crowd, Lincoln turned to
Everett and said he was afraid his speech had
been a failure. He said he should have
prepared it more carefully. Everett did not
agree. He said the speech was perfect. He said
the president had said more in two minutes
than he, Everett, had said in two hours. This
speech, known as the Gettysburg Address, is
considered one of the greatest speeches in
American history. In his speech, Lincoln said
that the country was dedicated to freedom
and that "government of the people, by the
people, for the people" had to continue. The
Civil War conti nued unti l April 9, 1865, when
the North finally won. Less than three weeks
later, on April 26, Lincoln was assassinated.
B. GRAMMAR
B.1.Modals are helping verbs that express
specific ideas when they combine with a main
verb.
Look at the categories in the chart. Discuss
their meanings with your partner. Then write
the highlighted modals in the correct place in
the chart.
It was a good/bad 1.
idea to……….
 SKILL & LEVEL: GRAMMAR LEVEL 5
to express the 2. classroom or I may/might/could have left it
impossibility of on the bus. (50%)
something -The dinosaurs might/may/could have been
to express past 3. killed by a meteor. (passive)
probability Negati ve
to conclude something 4. May not/Might not + have+V3
about a past situation ((expressing past probability which didn’t
happen)
MODALS OF DEDUCTION - Why did she get a low mark in the exam? She is
generally a good student.
PRESENT
- I don’t know. She may/might not have studied
Positi ve
hard this time.
Must (almost sure 95%)
Might/Could have V 3 (second meaning):
(I’m sure … It’s certain)
( to criti cize someone because they did not
Present Simple
do something we think they should have )
-Why is Peter at home today?
-Yesterday, he was broke and had to walk
- Well, he must be ill because I saw him last
home from school. In fact, he could have
night and he wasn’t feeling well.
borrowed some money from his friends, but
Present Conti nuous (must+be Ving)
he didn’t want them to know that he didn’t
- Where is your brother?
have any money. (he could have but he
- He must be studying in his room. He has
didn’t )
an exam tomorrow.
-Jenny asked for help with her homework.
PAST
In fact, I could have helped her but instead
Positi ve
I said I was busy.
Must + have + V 3
PRESENT
(to conclude something about a past
Negati ve
situation)
Can’t/Couldn’t (almost sure/I’m sure …
- Why did the police arrest John?
/It’s certain)
- He must have done something bad again.
- Tim says he is very hungry.
- Jenny always gets low marks in exams. But
- No, he can’t/couldn’t be hungry. He ate a
in the last exam, she got 100.
huge meal just half an hour ago. (It’s
- She must have cheated in the exam.
impossible)
PRESENT
-Your brother says he is broke.
May/Might/Could (50% sure)
- He can’t/couldn’t be broke. I gave him
(I don’t know…I’m not sure)
fift y dollars just an hour ago.
Present Simple
- Don’t make so much noise. Your brother is
- Why is the baby crying?
studying in the next room.
- I don’t know. She may be hungry, or she
- He can’t/couldn’t be studying in the next
might need a nappy change or she could
room. I saw him in the street playing with
need burping.
other children just a quarter of an hour ago.
Present Conti nuous
PAST
-Isn’t that Elif going up the street? Where is
Negati ve
she going?
Can’t/Couldn’t + have + V 3
- I don’t know. She might/may/could be
(to express the impossibility of something)
going to the cinema, or to the bank.
*couldn't have is more formal than can't
Negati ve
have)
May not/Might not (50%possibility in the
- I think I saw Susan at a cafe the other day,
present)
but I didn’t talk to her. She was in a
-Why is Peter eating only salad?He hasn’t
crowded group.
eaten the fi sh.
- You can’t/couldn’t have seen her because
- I don’t know. He may/might not like fish.
she left for London two weeks ago.
Jessica can’t/couldn’t have killed that man.
She was with me all night.
The trees couldn’t/can’t have been burned
PAST
by a fire. (passive)
Positi ve
Should + have+ V 3
May/Might/Could + have +V 3
(It was a good/bad idea…)
(expressing past probability)
-I didn’t set my alarm clock and I overslept
- I can’t fi nd my book.I don’t know where I
yesterday morning, so I was late for work.
left it.
I should have set my alarm clock.
-I may/might/could have left it in the

-He didn’t study hard enough, so he failed
the test.He should have studied harder to
pass the test.
-I talked to him very unkindly, so I hurt him.
I shouldn’t have talked to him so unkindly.
B.2.Make deducti ons about the given
sentences.
1. Running is not allowed on the stairs. There
is a danger of having an accident.
You------------------------------------------------------
2. You'd better not use this ladder. Look at it!
I'm sure it's not safe.
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3. I think I know how this window got broken.
I'm sure someone kicked a ball against it.
Someone-----------------------------------------------
4. l've turned off the electricity. l'm sure it's
safe to touch these wires now.
It---------------------------------------------------------
5. Ouch! Why didn't you tell me that piece of
metal was hot!
You ------------------------------------------------------
6. Where are the fire fighters? I called them
an hour ago.
They --------------------------------------------------by
now.
7. I'm sure you didn't clean this bowl properly.
You------------------------------------------------------
I can see stains on it.
8. Ron hasn’t even touched the lemon
meringue pie on his plate.
Ron ------------------------------------------------------
lemon meringue pie at all, because he hasn’t
even touched the piece on his plate.
9. Why didn’t you clean the house? You
already knew that it would be cleaned today.
You ------------------------------------------------------
10. Why did you shout at Mandy? It’s no
surprise that she has broken up with you.
You -----------------------------------------------------
at Mandy.
B.3. Yesterday James Scott , a very rich man,
was found dead in his mansion. Inspector
Sharpeye is investi gati ng the case. So far, he
has questi oned the people who were at home
at the time of the murder. Study his notes
and rewrite the underlined parts using the
SKILL & LEVEL: GRAMMAR LEVEL 5
modal + have + past parti ciple form . Pay
att enti on to where you need a negati ve form.
1. Mr Scott was shot in the head from about a
metre. I’m almost sure that he died
immediately .
He must have died immediately .
2.All the doors were locked, but the window
of Mr Scott’s study room was open. So it’s
possible that someone in the house killed him.
Otherwise, the only explanati on is that the
murderer came in through the window. (two
sentences)
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3. He was shot with one of the guns in his
collecti on, and only he himself had the key.
This makes it clear that the murderer knew
where he kept the key.
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4.There was £5,000 in the drawer of Mr
Scott’s study, and the money had been taken.
It’s possible that themurderer killed Mr Scott
for the money. Or, perhaps he or she didn’t
want to make the real reason known. (two
sentences)
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5.If the person only wanted the money, why
did he kill Mr Scott then? Why didn’t he or she
take the money and leave him alive? Well,
perhaps he or she didn’t want to leave any
evidence behind.
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6. Mr Scott didn’t have a good relati onship
with his wife. But Mrs Scott is in a wheelchair,
and her hands shake terribly. I don’t believe
that she killed her husband herself, but of
course, it’s possible that she hired someone to
do it for her. (two sentences)
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7. Mr Scott had had an argument with the
gardener two days before the murder and had
told him to leave the house in a week, so it’s
possible that the gardener killed him to take
revenge.
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8. But, no. It’s not possible that he was in the
house at the ti me. He said, in his statement,
that he was at the village pub unti l 11.00 that
night, and the barman and two other villagers
confirmed his statement. However, Mr Scott
was shot at 10 p.m.
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B.4. Complete the sentences using the verb in
parentheses with the simple or perfect form
of must, may/might/could, may not/might
not and can’t/couldn’t. Pay att ention to
whether the verb is acti ve or passive. For the
passive, use modal + have been + past
parti ciple.
Ex: A: I haven’t eaten anything since this
morning.
B: Oh, you must be (be) very hungry then.
A: I couldn’t believe my eyes. He ate three
huge sandwiches all on his own.
B: Oh, he must have been (be) very hungry
then. I know that because normally he doesn’t
eat so much.
1. A: Yesterday, Sandra couldn’t stop talking
about the pen she’d lost, but so far today, she
hasn’t mentioned it once.
B: Well, she ___________________ (find) it,
or she ______________ (forget) about it.
2. A: The staff in the other department have
just brought a cake in and now they’re putti ng
candles on it.
B: Well, it _________________ (be) someone’s
birthday then.
3. A: Look at Mary’s lovely photos of London.
She’s a very good photographer, isn’t she?
B: She _________________ (take) them
herself. She’s never been to London.
4. A: Oh, who’s that telephoning us now? Do
you think it’s Michelle?
SKILL & LEVEL: GRAMMAR LEVEL 5
B: No, it _____________ (be) Michelle
because she’s on a fl ight to Canada right now.
A: Well, her fl ight __________________ (take)
off yet.
B: It definitely has. I watched it leave with my
own eyes only two hours ago.
5. Oh look, all our plants are dying. Paul
_________________ (forget) to water them
while we were away.
6. A: What’s wrong with Jeremy? He’s shaking.
B: Well, he _________________ (be) cold. He
has been swimming.
A: Yes, but it’s boiling hot today.
B: I know, that’s why I wasn’t sure.
7. A: I wonder why Roger didn’t eat his rice
pudding.
B: Well, he ____________ (like) rice pudding.
A: What a silly suggesti on! Everybody likes rice
pudding, don’t they?
8. The house at the end of our road
__________________ (sell). The “For Sale”
sign has been taken down.
9. The money ________________ (steal) by
anyone in the offi ce because no one knew it
was there.
10. A: Linda __________ (know) about today’s
meeting.
B: Why not?
A: Because I forgot to tell her and I don’t
know if anyone else told her.
11. A: Where’s Jane? She’s late.
B: Well, she ________________ (oversleep).
She looked really ti red last night, you know.
Or, she _______________ (be) stuck in traffi c.
The roads are terrible this morning.
12. A: Gosh! You ______________ (be) really
tired. You’ve been working since seven this
morning, haven’t you?
B: Yes, you’re right. I’m exhausted.
13. A: Derek _________________ (be) at the
party this evening.
B: But he hasn’t been invited.
A: I know, but I’ve just heard Terry telling him
about it, and you know how he hates to miss
anything!
14. A: The light on the answer machine is
fl ashing, but there’s no message. I wonder
who called.
B: It _______________ (be) Annie. She always
calls in the evening.

15. A: This gold ring __________________
(make) in Britain.
B: Why?
A: Because it has this mark which is only used
in Britain on it.
B: Well, it ______________ (import) and then
stamped.
A: Possible, I suppose, but unlikely.
B.5. Complete the sentences using the
present or perfect form of “should’ with the
verb in the acti ve or passive form. Decide
whether the sentence should be positi ve or
negati ve.
1. These strawberries won’t keep long.
They-----------------------------------------------------
------ (eat) right away, or they’ll rot.
2.You----------------------------------------------------
------- (criti cise) Tim so severely in front of his
friends. He was really embarrassed.
3. You
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(criti cise) your children all the ti me like that.
It won’t help them at all.
4. You
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(tell) us that you weren’t coming. We wasted a
lot of ti me waiti ng for you there.
5. The plant died because it was in direct
sunlight.
It---------------------------------------------------------
-- (put) there in front of the window.
6. You
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(eat) so much, darling. You’re putti ng on
weight.
7. Gary caused lots of trouble at Tina’s party
last Saturday.
She-------------------------------------------------------
---- (invited) him.
8. Children who are shy by nature
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(encourage) to take part in acti vities at school.
9. You
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(talk) on the phone so long Mary. We’re
having diffi culty paying the bills.
10. We
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(inform) about the changes in the schedule
before we came here.
SKILL & LEVEL: GRAMMAR LEVEL 5
11.You
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(look) up every word in the dicti onary. It’s not
advisable. Instead, you
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(try) to guess the meaning from the context.
12.You
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(sell) your car to the fi rst person to answer
your advert. Perhaps someone will come and
offer more, but now it is too late.
B.6. Complete the sentences with these
modals and the infiniti ve or be + -ing form of
the verbs.
can’t could may not
might must
1. The children look so miserable. They
______________ (have) a good time.
2. Look at those birds. Do you think they
______________ (migrate) to warmer places?
3. That woman keeps going through the things
in her bag. She ______________ (look) for
something.
4. Keiko is so young, but she plays the violin
beauti fully. She ______________ (practi se)
for hours every day.
5. I’m convinced that Collin’s story is
absolutely true. It ______________ (be) a
hoax.
6. I’m not sure, but the turtles
______________ (lay) their eggs in the sand
now. Let’s not get too close.
7. Mr Henson ______________ (be) available
right now as he’s very busy. (Reference:
ngllife)
C.SPEAKING
C.1.Use the link
htt ps://drive.google.com/drive/folders/
0Bz1nPS3-09uVM190ZU9BNk43MUU
(Googledrive/LevelsMaterials/level5/Gramm
arMaterial/ModalsofDeduction)
or
htt ps://docs.google.com/presentati on/d/1YE
CFmvUWVgXzZwfCvAIkiWj71Dbr6KLYXdLlv3g
bE1I/edit#slide=id.g121c9df7be_0_83
 SKILL & LEVEL: GRAMMAR LEVEL 5
to have a look at the ppt “Crime scene
investi gati on”for the speaking acti vity.

ANSWER KEY 6. She can’t/couldn’t have killed her husband

A.1. Students’ own answers. herself. She may/might/could have hired
A.2. someone to do it for her.
1. He was against slavery. 7. The gardener may/might/could have killed
2. He came from a poor and uneducated him to get revenge.
family. He educated himself since he had 18 8. He can’t/couldn’t have been in the house at
months of schooling. the ti me.
3. 2 minutes.
4. He was assassinated. B.4.
1.may/might/could have found -
B.1. may/might/could forgotten 2.must be
1.should have prepared 3.can’t/couldn’t have taken 4.can’t/couldn’t
2.can’t have finished be - may not /might not have taken 5.must
3. may have been s urprised have forgotten 6.may/might/could be 7.may
4. must have thought not/might not like 8.must have been sold
B.2. 9.can’t/couldn’t have been stolen 10.may
Sample Answers not/might not know 11.may/might/could have
1. could / might / may have an accident overslept – may/might/could be 12.must be
2. can't/couldn’t be safe. 13.may/might/could be 14.must have been
3. must have kicked a ball against it 15.must have been made – may/might/could
4. must be safe to touch these wires now have been imported
5. should have told me that piece of metal was B.5.
hot! 1.should be eaten 2.shouldn’t have criti cized
6. should have arrived 3.shouldn’t criti cize 4.should have told
7. can't have cleaned this bowl properly 5.shouldn’t have been put 6.shouldn’t eat
8. can’t / couldn’t like 7.shouldn’t have invited 8.should be
9. should have cleaned the house encouraged 9.shouldn’t talk 10.should have
10. shouldn’t have shouted been informed 11.shouldn’t Iook-should try
12.shouldn’t have sold
B. 3.
2. Someone in the house may/might/could B.6.
have killed him, or the murderer 1. can’t be having 2. might be migrati ng /
may/might/could have come in through the could be migrating 3. must be looking 4. must
window. practi ce 5. can’t be 6. could be laying / might
3. The murderer must have known where he be laying 7. may not be
kept the key.
4. The murderer may/might/could have killed C.1.Students’ own answers.
Mr Scott for the money, or he or she may
not/might not have wanted to make the real
reason known.
5. He or she may not/might not have wanted
to leave any evidence behind.