Modal Expressions: can, could, may, might, will

Choose the most appropriate modal auxiliary for each sentence.

1. Don't worry, Mr. Westmond, I promise, I _________ (may/will) pick up the documents
from the ministry first thing tomorrow morning.

2. I ________ (can/could) type very fast when I was in college. I'm much slower now.

3. I'm sorry, Mrs. Martinez, the rules state that you _________ (may/can) visit your uncle
in Ohio, but you ________ (won't/can't) stay longer than six months.

4. I don't know if I can, but I ________ (might/will) go to Toronto next week.

5. If you come to visit us next summer, you ________ (can/will) stay in the guesthouse.

6. Jane usually takes two courses each semester, but this semester he said he ________
(could/might) try to take three.

7. If Ashot looks out his back window, he ________ (could/can) see the Caspian Sea.

8. When Jack was younger, he ________ (might/could) ride 30 km on his bicycle in an

afternoon.

9. If you want to, you _______ (can/may) have a swim in the pool before dinner.

10. Next week I ________ (could/may) take a trip into the Sonora Desert.

11. The exam _________ (can’t / might) be easy. You never know.

12. It ____________ (may / can’t) be true about the sauropod dinosaur living in Lake Telé
in the Congo. It’s imposible.

13. I _______________ (can’t / might) go to the party but I’m not sure yet.

14. She ___________ (can’t / could) steal things from shops. She’s rich and famous.

15. He ______________ (can’t / may) be from the USA. He doesn’t speak English.
Answers
Modal Auxiliary Expressions: can, could, may, might, will
The most appropriate modal auxiliary for each sentence.

1. Don't worry, Mr. Westmond, I promise, I _will_ (may/will) pick up the documents from
the ministry first thing tomorrow morning.

2. I _could_ (can/could) type very fast when I was in college. I'm much slower now.

3. I'm sorry, Mrs. Martinez, the rules state that you _may_ (may/can) visit your uncle in
Ohio, but you _can't_ (won't/can't) stay longer than six months.

4. I don't know if I can, but I _might_ (might/will) go to Toronto next week.

5. If you come to visit us next summer, you _can_ (can/will) stay in the guesthouse.

6. Jane usually takes two courses each semester, but this semester he said he _might_
(could/might) try to take three.

7. If Ashot looks out his back window, he _can_ (could/can) see the Caspian Sea.

8. When Jack was younger, he _could_ (might/could) ride 30 km on his bicycle in an

afternoon.

9. If you want to, you _can_ (can/may) have a swim in the pool before dinner.

10. Next week I _may_ (could/may) take a trip into the Sonora Desert.

11. The exam __might__ (can’t / might) be easy. You never know.

12. It ____can’t________ (may / can’t) be true about the sauropod dinosaur living in
Lake Telé in the Congo. It’s imposible.

13. I _____might__________ (can’t / might) go to the party but I’m not sure yet.

14. She __can’t___ (can’t / could) steal things from shops. She’s rich and famous.

15. He __can’t_____ (can’t / may) be from the USA. He doesn’t speak English.