Modals

A) Fill in the blanks with CAN or CAN’T:

1. She is a small baby. She ……………….. eat meat, but she ………………… drink milk.

2. That dress is not expensive. I …………………. buy it.

3. A cat ………………. climb up a tree, but a dog ………………….. .

4. I’m very tired today. I ……………………. clean my room.

5. John is very short. He …………………… play basketball very well.

6. We are very hungry, so we …………………. eat a lot of sandwiches.

7. He is very fat. He …………………… run very fast.

8. We …………………. sleep in the bedroom but we ………………… sleep in the bathroom.

B) Fill in the blanks with CAN / CAN’T or MUST / MUSTN’T:

1. She is ill, so she ………………………. see the doctor.

2. It’s raining heavily. You …………………… take your umbrella.

3. We ………………………………. (not / pick) the flowers in the park.

4. Mike is nine months old. He ……………………………… (not / eat) nuts.

5. I am very tall. So I …………………… play basketball.

6. I’m sorry but we …………………………………………. (not / come) to your party tomorrow.

7. You are speaking very quietly. I ………………………………….. (not / understand) you.

8. …………………….. I use your phone?

9. We …………………….. go to the bank today. We haven’t got any money.

10. My hands are dirty. I ……………………….. wash them.

11. It’s late. I …………………………. go now.

12. You ………………….. stop at a red traffic light.

13. You ………………………………….. (not / speed) in the city.

14. Tourists ……………………… take their passports when they go abroad.

15. Footballers …………………………………….. (not / touch) the ball with their hands.

16. ……………………… you play the guitar?

17. I ……………………………………… (not / come) with you now. Because I’m studying my lessons.

C) Use MUST / MUSTN’T / HAVE TO or (NOT) HAVE TO:

1. I can stay in bed tomorrow morning because I ………………………………………work.

2. Whatever you do, you ……………………. touch that switch. It’s very dangerous.
3. You ………………….. forget what I told you. It’s very important.

4. We ………………………………….. leave yet. We’ve got plenty of time.

5. Ann was feeling ill last night. She ………………………. leave the party early.

6. I ……………………….. go to the bank yesterday to get some money.

7. The windows are very dirty. I …………………….. clean them.

8. The windows aren’t dirty. You ………………………………… clean them.

9. We arrived home very late last night. We …………………….. wait half an hour for a taxi.

10. These cakes are very nice. You …………………… have one.

11. We ………………………………….. take an umbrella. It’s not going to rain.

12. This is a secret. You ……………………………… tell anybody.

13. You ……………………………….. buy a newspaper. You can have mine.

14. This train doesn’t go to London. You …………………………… change at Bristol.

15. In many countries men ……………………………… do military service.

16. Sarah is a nurse. Sometimes she ………………………… work at weekends.

D) Fill in the blanks using (NOT) HAVE TO / MUST (NOT) / CAN / COULD:

1. George has traveled a lot. He ……………………… speak four languages.

2. I can’t sing now but I ………………….. sing very well when I was a child.

3. She will stay in bed till 10 o’clock this morning. Because she ………………………….. go to work.

4. Many students in Turkey ………………………… wear uniform when they go to school.

5. I’m sorry I couldn’t come yesterday. I ……………………….. work late.

6. You’ve been coughing a lot recently. You ……………………….. smoke so much.

7. You have a bad headache. So you ………………………. go to bed early.

8. I can’t swim very far these days but ten years ago I ………………………. swim from one side of
the lake to the other.

9. You ……………….. see the sea from our bedroom window.

10. It isn’t permitted to speak Turkish during the lessons. So you …………………… speak Turkish.

E) Fill in the blanks with MUST (NOT) / CAN (NOT) / (NOT) HAVE TO / NEEDN’T:

1. You ………………….. park in that street. It is not permitted.

2. Look at George. He is working very well. He ………………… be ill.

3. There’s someone at the door. I’m expecting Paul. It ………………….. be Paul.

4. Ali’s car is here. He …………………. be here.

5. The baby is asleep. You ……………………….. shout.

6. You’ve got plenty of time. You …………………………….. hurry.

7. A: “Do you want me to wait for you?” B: “No, it’s OK. You …………………………….. wait.”

8. I can’t get any answer from my telephone. It ………………….. be out of order.

9. Ann stayed in bed this morning because she ……………………………….. go to work.

10. Tom has just given me a letter to post. I …………………. forget to post it.

F) Use a suitable present or past MODAL AUXILIARY:

1. He ……………………….. play chess when he was young.

2. You …………………….. drive a car when you are 18.

3. ……………………… I ask you a question?

4. She ……………………. be 25. She looks older than that.

5. His telephone doesn’t answer. He ……………………………………….. (go) to the club.

6. She entered the room carrying a wet umbrella. She …………………………………(walk) in the rain.

7. My car didn’t work this morning. So I ……………………………. walk to the office.

8. He ………………………………………… (be) home, but we didn’t telephone him.

9. She ………………………………………... (help) me a lot by giving me a little of his time, but she
preferred to go out.

10. He doesn’t know the answer. He …………………………………………….. (study).

11. I can’t find the house. I ………………………………………….. (write) down the address.

12. She is very sleepy. She ……………………………………. (stay) up very late last night.

13. I ………………… go for a walk later. It depends on the weather.

14. The ground is covered with snow. It ………………………………………… (snow) last night.

15. She …………………………………… (be) in a great hurry to leave for the theater because she left
all the dinner dishes on the table.

16. That store has just gone bankrupt. I believe they ………………………………… (have) a stricter
policy about giving people credit.

17. I’m afraid Mr. Smith is deaf. He ……………………………………… (not / hear) what you say.

G) Fill in the blanks with suitable MODAL AUXILIARY VERBS:

1. At the end of the month the Post Office will send him an enormous bill which he
………………………………….. pay.

2. When I was a child, I …………………………… understand adults, and now that I am an adult I
……………………… understand children.

3. When I first went to England I ………………… read English but I ……………………… understand it.
4. …………………….. I see your passport, please?

5. He sees very badly, he …………………. wear glasses all the time.

6. Pedestrians …………………. either use the crosswalk or cross the street at the traffic lights.

7. The buses were all full; I ……………………… take a taxi.

8. You ……………………. drive fast; there is a speed limit here.

9. …………………. we all go to the football match tonight?

10. You …………………. argue with your father, you ……………….. obey him.

11. I know she was in because I heard her radio, but she didn’t open the door. She ………….
……………………….. (hear) the bell.

12. A: I bought two bottles of milk. B: You ………………………………………….. (buy) milk; we have
heaps in the house.

13. I …………………… carry this heavy pack myself. I think I will ask for help.

14. When I woke up this morning, the light was on. I ………………………………… (forget) to turn it
off.

15. I saw her at the office half an hour ago. She …………………………(be) at home now. It is almost
impossible.

16. I can’t find my keys. I ……………………………………. (put) them somewhere in my room.

17. I don’t know what all this noise about. It …………………………………… (be) my father breaking
wood in the backyard.

18. I can’t find my mother. She …………………………………… (go) shopping.

19. The weather is overcast. It ……………………………….. (rain) in the afternoon.

20. If you have finished your work, you ……………………….. (leave).

21. ……………………. you like to come to the cinema with us?

22. ……………………. I come in?

23. Emily ……………………………… (wear) glasses since she was eight.

24. Deniz had no money, so she sold her car. A few days later she won a lot of money in a
competition. She ……………………………………….. (sell) her car.

25. The accident happened because he was driving on the wrong side of the road. He
……………………………………………. (drive)on the right.

H) A mysterious letter has arrived for Tom by special delivery. He is nervous about opening
it. Add suitable MODAL VERBS to complete the dialogue. He is with Jill, his wife.

Jill : ………………………. I have a look at it? (permission) Tom : I ……………………… think who
it’s from. (negative ability)

Jill : It ……………………… be important. (assumption) Tom : …………………… you read the

postmark? (ability) Jill : It ……………………….. be from the taxman. (possibility) Tom : No,
it …………………….. be from him. He always uses a special envelope. (negative
(assumption) Jill : It ……………………….. be from your bank manager (possibility), so you
…………. open it immediately. (advice) Tom : Yes, I ………………………… stop putting it
off (obligation). Now, let’s see. Is it good news or bad?

I) Draw conclutions using CAN’T / MUST / MIGHT:

1. He drives a very expensive car and owns a private plane. (rich)

………………………………………………………………………………

2. He spends all day walking round the town. (job)

………………………………………………………………………………

3. They are asking the way to the city center. (tourist)

………………………………………………………………………………

4. She works for a daily newspaper. She goes to the big football matches. (sports reporter)
………………………………………………………………………………

5. I thought he studied medicine, but she’s going to an outdoor job now. (doctor)
………………………………………………………………………………

6. She teaches maths at the university. (stupid)

……………………………………………………………………………….

7. A: What happened to your leg? B: I slipped badly on the ice and broke it. A: Oh! That
…………………………………………. hurt a lot. B: It does.

8. A: Listen! Do you hear a noise like someone shouting? B: Yes, I do. The new neighbours
upstairs ………………………………… quarrel again.

9. A: I ……………………………………………….. get a rise in my salary soon. B: What makes you think

so? A: The boss seemed very pleased with my last project.

10. A: That man over there looks like our district manager. B: No, he ……………………………………….
be him. He went to the USA three days ago and hasn’t returned yet.

J) Fill in MUST or MUSTN’T:

1. It’s cold. You ……………………….. leave without your jacket.

2. You …………………. eat fruit and vegetables to stay healthy.

3. I ……………………… go to the post office. I have a letter to send.

4. You ……………………….. speak rudely to your parents.

5. You ……………………….. park here – it’s illegal.

6. We ………………………. hurry or we’ll miss the bus.

K) Use a suitable MODAL AUXILIARY:

1. I can’t find my book. I ……………………………………………….. (leave) it on the bus.

2. They don’t answer their phone; they ……………………………………… (go) away on their vacation.

3. The lights have gone out. A fuse ……………………………………………. (blow).

4. She …………………………………. (go) to school. It’s Saturday.

5. You were stupid to go skiing here. You …………………………………………… (break) your leg.

6. She ……………………. (sing) like an angel when she was a kid.

7. ……………………….. I make a suggestion?

8. You ……………………… go and see “Batman”. It’s a great film.

9. He came home alone. You ………………………………………… (let) him do that; he

……………………………………… (get) lost.

10. He read the message but he ………………………………….. (not) understand.

11. I …………………………………………. (lend) you the money. Why didn’t you ask me?

12. A: Can I have some sweets? I am hungry. B: You ………………….. hungry. You have just had
dinner.

13. Tom ……………………………………. (write) this, because it is in French and he doesn’t know
French.

14. He looked so tired. He ………………………………………………….. (work) very hard.

15. He …………………………. be a very clever boy. He has entered the university very easily.

L) Put an asterisk (*) for what you MUST, MUSTN’T or NEEDN’T do and then write them
down as in the examples:

MUST MUSTN’T NEEDN’T tidy your room cheat on the exams do your homework
regularly listen to the teacher visit the teacher run in the halls talk during the test
wake up early at weekends get to class late wash your hand before meal wear a tie at the
parties

1. …. I must tidy my room. ………………………………………………….

2. …. I mustn’t cheat on the exams. ………………………………………….

3. ………………………………………………………………………………

4. ………………………………………………………………………………

5. ………………………………………………………………………………

6. ………………………………………………………………………………

7. ……………………………………………………………………………..

8. ………………………………………………………………………………

9. ………………………………………………………………………………

10. ………………………………………………………………………………

M) Complete the sentences with MUST / MUSTN’T or NEEDN’T:

Examples: I haven’t got much time. I …. must …. hurry. I have got plenty of
time. I …. needn’t …. hurry.
1. “Do you want me to wait for you?” “No, it’s okay. You …………………….. wait.”

2. Smith gave me a letter to post. I ……………………….. forget to post it.

3. You ………………….. come if you don’t want to but I hope you will.

4. We have enough food at home so we ……………………. go shopping today.

5. This book is very valuable. You …………………. look after it very carefully and you …………………..
lose it.

6. You have got a new skirt, so you …………………… buy another.

7. It’s holiday tomorrow. You ……………………. get up early.

8. He’s ill, so he …………………….. see the doctor.

9. It’s snowing. You …………………… put on your coat.

10. You ……………………. take too many aspirins in one day.