modals revision an2 2008

8/14/2019 Modals Revision An2 2008

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MODALS - REVISION

1. Use the perfect infinitive of the underlined verb with a suitablemodal :

e.g. I've never seen a London policeman.// You see one! You've been

in London a wekk already!ANSWER : You must have seen one1. I've written to Paul.You not write. He's coming here tomorrow. You'll see him before he

gets your letter.2. They build a two-storey house (this was the original plan), but

money ran out so they built a bungalow instead.3. If the dog hadn't woken us we not notice the fire for several hours,

and by that time it spread to the house next door.4. Ann:Why didn't you wait for me yesterday ?

Tom: I waited five minutes.Ann : You wait a little longer!5. How did Peter get there?He come on a motorcycle (This is a possibility)He not come on a motorcycle. He doesn't ride one.He come hitch-hiking.6. Why are you so late? You be here two hours ago!7. If I'd known we'd have to wait so long I bring a book.If I'd known it was going to so cold I not come at all!8. Tom (looking out of the window): Fortunately that teapot didn't hit

anyone, but you not throw it out of the window, Ann! You kill someone.

9. Look at this beautiful painting! Only a very great artist paint such apicture!

Nonsense! A child of five paint it with his eyes shut.10. I wonder how the fire started.Oh, someone drop a lighted cigarette. Or it be an electrical fault.11. There is only one set of footprints, so the kidnapper carry his

prisoner out. He not do it in daylight or he be seen. He wait till dark.

2. Look at the following sentences and identify those which expressdegrees of likelihood (certainty, probability,, or possibility). Categorize theremaining sentences in terms of what their modals express (obligation,permission, ability, willingness)

1. You can borrow the car, I don't need it.2. He can still be at the office, it's after 9 o'clock.3. I can'thear you very well, the line's bad.4. That won'tbe the postman at the door, he's been already.5. Will you give me a hand with this? It's so heavy.6. John's awful. He simply won'tadmit that he's made a mistake!7. A:What's that scratching noise?

B:Don't worry. It'll be the cat trying to get in.

8. He'll be at the airport by now.9. No, you maynot leave before the end.

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10. We maybe in for a rough crossing, there's a storm coming.11. He mightchange his mind, if we keep on at him.12. You mustn'tgive up yet, try just once more.13. He alweays looks so exhausted, he musthave a very demanding

job.

14. If you hurry up, we couldbe there by 6.15. You shoulddrive more slowly round there, it's a dangerous corner.16. You shouldhave no trouble passing,, it's your best subject.

3. Fill in the gap by putting the concept expressed by the modal verbin form(i) into the past.

1.(i) She can ski very well.(ii)She ... really well when she was five.

2.(i) I can finish it by Friday, but it won't be easy.(ii) I ... by Friday, but it wasn't easy.

3.(i) John can'tlive here. This is the wrong street.(ii) Shakespeare ... in that house. It wasn't built until 1840.

4.(i) MayI leave the room? I don't feel well.(ii) I ... the room because I didn't feel well.

5.(i) I mustcheck the oil before we leave.(ii) I ... the oil before we left.

6.(i) It mustbe raining. Everyone has their umbrella up.(ii)It ....The ground is wet.

7.(i) Thank you very much. You needn'tgive me a lift, but it's verykind.

(ii) You ... me a lift, but it was very kind.

8. He needn'tcollect me from the station. I'll walk.(ii) He ... me from the station. I walked.9.(i) Why don't you take the exam? You mightpass.(ii) Why didn't you take the exam? You ...10.(i) He shouldstop smoking before it's too late.(ii) He ... smoking before it was too late.

11.(i) I couldvisit you next Sunday.(ii) I ... you last Sunday. Why didn't you ask me?

12. (i) There's the phone. It'll be Paul.(ii) Did he have a deep voice? It ... Paul.

13. (i) He'll sit in the armchair for hours, staring into space.

(ii) He ... in the armchair for hours, staring into space.14. (i) Let's take the map. We mayget lost.

(ii) I wonder where they are. They ...

4. Look at this unnatural monologue. Replace the words in italics withthe appropriate modals to make it sound more natural :

"Wonderful, it's Sunday and (a) not necessaryfor me to get up at 7o'clock.(b) I'll possibly stay in bed a bit longer although (c) I think thechildren are probably awake now and I'll (d) be obliged to get theirbreakfast soon. They (e) refuse to make it for themselves.(f) It would be agood idea for me to get up immediately because (g) perhaps they willwreck the house. However, it is still very early and they (h) are probably

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not very hungry yet.(i) It would have been a ggodidea if I had put out thecornflakes and milk yesterday evening. But all this thinking and not actingis really silly!(j)It is really necessary for me to get up this minute. Nowwhere are my bedrrom slippers? - That lousy dog (k) hasprobablyhiddenthem again!(l)It would be a good idea for us to train it better, but I

suppose we (m)weren't obligedto buy it in the first place, and after all, it'sonly a puppy.

Oh, I'd forgotten! (n)It's just possible that Alan will be back from hisbusiness trip today - marvellous! One adult isn't enough to look after fourchildren, a puppy, and three goldfish! Why (o) did he refuse to take meeith him? (p) It waspossible for us to gethis mother to come and lookafter the children. Never again!"

5.Fill the gap in the second sentence by puting the concept expressedby the modal verb in the first sentence into the negative.

a.The painting must have been stolen.The painting ......!It's too big to get out of the room.b. If the traffic isn't too bad, he could be here by 3.00.He ......here until 5.00 if he gets stuck in a jam.c. You must workhard!You ......so hard! You're a millionaire!d. You must workhard!You .......so hard! Can't you see you're killing yourself?e. I need to see a doctor.You .......doctor. A chemist can prescribe something for you.

6. Look at the sentences below. In which of the sentences do the modalverbs express the following?a. abilityb. permissionc. deduction/suppositiond. future possibilitye. irritationf. an unfulfiled possibility

1. It's very late in the day to cancel - I do think you might have let me

know a little earlier.2. He could have been a great politician, but he chose instead to become apriest.3. Judging from the architecture, this photo might have been taken inSpain.4. I was wondering whether I could come and see you next week.5. You can't have phoned on Tuesday, because I was in all day.6. It was such a bad line, I couldn't hear what she was saying.7. You could have phoned to tell us you were all right. Why on earth didn'tyou ring?8. There could be severe unrest if the economy doesn't improve before thewinter.

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9. Excuse me, sir. Might I ask whether you intend to stay at the hotel foranother night?10. If I pass all my exams, I may take a year off and travel round theworld.

7. Compare the use of tense and verb forms in the pairs of sentencesbelow,, and discuss how the meaning changes.

1. If you will play with matches, then it's your fault if you get burnt.If you play with matches, you might burn yourself.

2. If he doesn't come, let me know.If he won't come, let me know.

3. Will it be all right if I use your phone?Would it be all right if I used your phone ?

4. If I had accepted the job, I would be in Spain now.If I accepted the job, I would be in Spain now.5. I would come with you tomorrow if I hadn't already arranged to go toParis.

I would come with you tomorrow if I weren't going to Paris.

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modals revision an2 2008

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