Modals

Choose the sentence that is closer in meaning to the original sentence.

      1. She should have gone to sleep early.

         a. She went to sleep late.

         b. It was a mistake to go to sleep so early.

      2. They might cancel their trip to Paris.

         a. They aren’t sure if they are going to Paris.

         b. They’ve already decided not to go to Paris.

      3. You needn’t have paid for dinner.

         a. You don’t need to pay for dinner.

         b. It wasn’t necessary to pay for dinner.

      4. It must have rained.

         a. We thought it would rain, but it didn’t.

         b. The ground is wet because of the rain.

      5. Bill couldn’t have known about the accident.

         a. Bill was in an accident.

         b. It isn’t possible that Bill knew about the accident.

 Rewrite the sentences using the words in brackets.

      1. There’s a possibility that my cousin is going to visit me next Sunday. (might)

                                                                                                                            

      2. Walking on the grass is not allowed. (mustn’t)

                                                                                                                            

      3. John has the ability to be an excellent football player, but he doesn’t like the game. (could have)

                                                                                                                            

      4. It wasn’t nice that you didn’t call me on my birthday. (ought to)

                                                                                                                            

      5. Everyone expected the president to arrive on time, but he was late. (should have)

                                                                                                                            

      6. Claire doesn’t have to return the car today. (needn’t)

                                                                                                                            

      7. Holly doesn’t know how to drive. (can’t)

                                                                                                                            

5    Complete the passage with a suitable modal or modal perfect and the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

         For ten days last August, a queue of cars 95 kilometres long stood still on a motorway outside Beijing in what ^1. ……………………………… (must / be) the worst traffic jam in history. “I’ve been waiting here for days,” said one lorry driver. “How ^2. ……………………………… I ……………………………… (can / make) a living this way?” This ^3. ……………………………… (may / be) an extreme example, but it’s not that unusual. People in Beijing ^4. ……………………………… (have to / deal) with the worst traffic jams on the planet. Drivers complain that the government ^5. ……………………………… (should / build) more roads a long time ago. The government, however, ^6. ……………………………… (not able to / keep up) with the growing number of vehicles bought every year by newly wealthy citizens. Without China’s recent economic boom, people ^7. ……………………………… (might / stay) on their bicycles and Beijing ^8. ……………………………… (could / be) free of congestion. So traffic jams, though annoying, are a sign that the Chinese are getting richer.

KEY

 1. a      2. a      3. b      4. b      5. b

  1. My cousin might visit me next Sunday.

    2. You mustn’t walk on the grass.

    3. John could have been an excellent football player, but he doesn’t like the game.

    4. You ought to have called me on my birthday.

    5. The president should have arrived on time, but he was late.

    6. Claire needn’t return the car today.

    7. Holly can’t drive.

  1. must have been

    2. can … make

    3. may be

    4. have to deal

    5. should have built

    6. hasn’t been able to keep up

    7. might have stayed

    8. could have been