Exercises with Modal Verbs

! 1. Identify the modal verbs and indicate their meaning in the following
sentences.

a) You mustn’t drive fast. There is a speed limit here. Prohibition

b) Can you stand on your head? Ability
c) You shouldn’t have helped him. Suggestion
d) I’m sorry I did not hear the doorbell. I must have been in the garden. Deduction
e) May I go now? Permission
f) It can’t be true. Impossibility
g) Could I help you? Offer, Suggestion
h) Would you like a cup of tea? Offer
i) We needn’t have baked that many cakes. The guests did not like them. Necessity

! 2. Put the following sentences into

a) interrogative
b) negative
c) the past tense

1. She can read Arabic.

Can she read Arabic?
She can’t read A.
She couldn’t read A.

2. They must tidy their room.

Must they tidy their room?
They don’t have to tidy their room.
They had to tidy their room.

3. She must be at home in the afternoon.

Does she have to be at home in the afternoon?
She doesn’t have to be at home in the afternoon.
She had to be at home in the afternoon.

4. We may watch TV after we finish our homework.

Can we watch TV after we finish our homework?
We can’t watch TV after we finish our homework.
We may have watched TV after we had finished our homework.

5. You should visit Paris.

-
You shouldn’t visit Paris.
You should have visited Paris.

3. Fill in the appropriate modal verb: may, might, must, mustn’t, can, can’t,
should, shouldn’t, would, wouldn’t, needn’t, ought to
a) You ……shouldn’t………. bring an umbrella. It’s not going to rain.
b) “You …… mustn’t …….. tell lies”, said mother.
c) He …can’t………… have broken the classroom window yesterday. He did not come to
school.
d) I’m not sure they will come to the party. They ……might………. be busy.
e) ……Would……………….. you come to the dentist with me? I’m scared to go alone.
f) You ……must………….. be John Brown. I saw your picture in the papers.
g) We ………ought to…………………….. donate money to the local orphanage.
h) He ……must…………have checked the brakes of his car before the trip.
i) You ………should……….. read this novel. It’s brilliant!
j) …May……… I help you?