Modal Verbs Exercise 1

can     could     have to     must     might     should
1. Ted's flight from Amsterdam took more than 11 hours. He ………………..be

exhausted after such a long flight. He ………………….prefer to stay in tonight and

get some rest.

2. If you want to get a better feeling for how the city is laid out, you …………..

walk downtown and explore the waterfront.

3. Hiking the trail to the peak ………….. be dangerous if you are not well

prepared for dramatic weather changes. You ……………. research the route a

little more before you attempt the ascent.

4. When you have a small child in the house, you ………………. leave small

objects lying around. Such objects ………………. be swallowed, causing serious

injury or even death.

5. Dave: ……………. you hold your breath for more than a minute?

Nathan: No, I can't.

6. Jenny's engagement ring is enormous! It……………… have cost a fortune.

7. Please make sure to water my plants while I am gone. If they don't get enough

water, they …………………… die.

8. I ……………..speak Arabic fluently when I was a child and we lived in Egypt.

But after we moved back to Canada, I had very little exposure to the language

and forgot almost everything I knew as a child. Now, I …………. just say a few

things in the language.

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9. The book is optional. My professor said we……………. read it if we needed

extra credit. But we …………………. read it if we don't want to.

10. Leo: Where is the spatula? It ………………….. be in this drawer but it's not

here.

Nancy: I just did a load of dishes last night and they're still in the dish washer. It

…………..be in there. That's the only other place it ……………….. be.

11. You ………………. take your umbrella along with you today. The weatherman

on the news said there's a storm north of here and it …………………. rain later

on this afternoon.

12. ………………….. we pull over at the next rest stop? I really ……………. use

the bathroom and I don't know if I ………………….. hold it until we get to

Chicago.

13. Oh no! Frank's wallet is lying on the coffee table. He …………. have left it

here last night.

14. Ned: …………… I borrow your lighter for a minute?

Stephen: Sure, no problem. Actually, you …………… keep it if you want to. I've

given up smoking.

15. I …………..believe she said that to Megan! She ………………….. insult her

cooking in front of everyone at the party last night. She ……………… have just

said she was full or had some salad if she didn't like the meal.

16. Do you …………….. chew with your mouth open like that? Geez, it's making

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 me sick watching you eat that piece of pizza.

17. Mrs. Scarlett's body was found in the lounge just moments ago, and it's still

warm! Nobody has left the mansion this evening, so the killer ………….. be

someone in this room. It …………. be any one of us!!!

18. Ted: I don't know why Denise starting crying when I mentioned the wedding.

Pamela: It ………… have been what you said about her brother. Or, perhaps she

is just nervous. After all, the big day is tomorrow.

19. I was reading the book last night before I went to bed. I never took it out of

this room. It…………… be lying around here somewhere. Where ………… it be?

be swallowed, causing serious injury or even death.

must     have to

1. I ……………be at the meeting by 10:00. I will probably …………….take a taxi if I

want to be on time.

2. You ……………. submit the application if it has not been completely filled out.

Check that the name, address, and background information are correct. If the

form is not accurate and complete, you will be rejected and you will …………….

reapply at a later date.

3. Tina: Look at these flowers - they're beautiful! But, there's no card. Who could

have sent them?

Stephanie: It ……….. have been David. He's the only one who would send you

flowers.

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 4. You ………………… forget to pay the rent tomorrow. The landlord is very strict

about paying on time.

5. You …………………….be so rude! Why don't you try saying "please" once in a

while.

6. You ……………………………be rich to be a success. Some of the most successful

people I know haven't got a penny to their name.

7. I …………………….go to work tomorrow because it is Memorial Day. The best thing

about a day off from work is that I ……………………….. get up at 6:00; I can sleep in

till noon if I want to.

8. Ingrid received a scholarship to Yale University which will cover 100% of the tuition.

She ………………………………. worry at all about the increasing cost of education.

Modal Verbs Exercise 3

………………………… at least get her some flowers or a nice bottle of wine.

2. Debbie said she was really busy this week, but I think she ……………. show up at the

party if she doesn't have to work overtime on Friday.

3. Nina said she would come over right after work, so she …………… be here by 6:00.

4. Oh my God, he's unconscious. Don't move him - he ………………….. have internal

injuries. Somebody call an ambulance.

5. You ……………….. be kidding! That can't be true.

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6. Dan: Where's the remote control? I want to change the channel.

Fiona: I don't know. It …………………. be under the couch. Or, perhaps I absent-

mindedly took it into the kitchen. I'll check in there.

7. For most people, learning a language is a challenging undertaking. Experts agree

that to make the most of your language learning experience, you ………………….

practice the language regularly and push yourself to maintain old vocabulary while

acquiring new words and expressions.

8. New research suggests that exercise can reduce the chance of heart disease as well

as cancer. That's why I told my father that he …………….. start walking once a day.

9. We should invite Sally and her husband to come to the picnic on Saturday. We

haven't seen them in weeks, and they ……………. really enjoy a nice day at the beach.

10. Tim: While I was a student, I spent a year and a half studying Pygmy culture in the

Central African Republic. My research focused on unique aspects of the their social

structure and religion.

Simona: That ………………….have been absolutely fascinating!

11. We had better call Tony to see if he's at home before we go over to his house. He

……………………. be there and we don't want to drive all the way over there for

nothing.

12. At first, my boss didn't want to hire Sam. But, because I had previously worked with

Sam, I told my boss that he ……………… take another look at his resume and

reconsider him for the position.

13. You ………………. worry so much. It doesn't do you any good. Either you get the

job, or you don't. If you don't, just apply for another one. Eventually, you will find work.

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14. I would love to go on the cruise to Tahiti with Robin and Michelle. But such a

luxurious trip ………………… cost a fortune. I doubt I could afford something like that.

15. The book recommends adding fresh soil and using plant food to make your garden

flowers grow. Since some people might be allergic to chemicals in artificial plant foods,

the book says that you …………………. use an organic brand to avoid skin irritations.