• Oxford English Grammar Course Intermediate TEST • modal verbs Name ● Modal verbs – the basics These sentences are all wrong Correct them Use contractions ▲ (e.g can’t NOT cannot) She mights be late might 10 You must to help me ‘You can’t swim, can you?’ ‘No, I don’t.’ You ought wear a coat when you’re outside The children don’t should watch so much TV I must change my computer last week, as my old one was much too slow I’d love to can play the guitar, so I’m starting lessons next month I’m very sorry to must tell you that you have failed this driving test Do I must change jobs or stay where I am? I can’t decide I’ve never could cook properly, but I’m doing a cookery course next year I‘ve always can use my parents’ car when they aren’t using it ● Ability Circle the correct option ▲ I can / will can come swimming this afternoon, but I must be home by o’clock The snow was very deep this morning, but I could / managed to drive to work One day, computers can / will be able to translate what we say while we are speaking I could / succeeded to stand on my head when I was a child, but I can’t it now I’m very sorry, but I couldn’t / won’t be able to come to your party tomorrow night I tried to open the bottle three times, and the third time I managed / succeeded in opening it I tried to stay awake during the ilm, but I was so tired that I didn’t manage / didn’t manage to it ● Perfect modal verbs Which verb(s) is/are possible? ▲ Circle A, B or both ‘I feel sick, Dad.’ ‘Well, you eaten so much ice cream.’ A can’t have B shouldn’t have Your hand has paint on it You touched the wall which I’ve just painted A may have B shouldn’t have You me such an expensive present, but it was very kind of you A needn’t have bought B didn’t need to buy Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I cooked lunch for you A can have B could have I forgotten to lock the front door of my lat I won’t know until I get home tonight A may have B must have I’m so sorry I lied to you I told you the truth A should have B must have You inished your homework already! You only started working 30 minutes ago A needn’t have B can’t have We driven to the station; it’s so close, we could have walked there A shouldn’t have B needn’t have ➔ Oxford English Grammar Course • Intermediate TEST • modal verbs © Michael Swan and Catherine Walter PHOTOCOPIABLE ● Mixed structures Correct the mistakes or write ‘Correct’ Use contractions where possible ▲ ▲ 10 11 12 13 14 15 You mustn’t pay me now; I can wait until tomorrow don’t have to / don’t need to / needn’t You needn’t come if you don’t want to Correct They’ve better work hard if they want to pass the exam You haven’t to come to the shops with us if you don’t want to We can’t have inished all the juice I bought a big bottle this morning You’ve better not talk to him while he’s driving You must be Barbara’s daughter You really look like her! People had better always use sun cream when it’s very hot Is your grandmother really 80? It mustn’t be true! She looks about 60 I don’t know where we are We must have got on the wrong bus They were supposed to meet us here at the restaurant What’s happened to them? You shouldn’t have spent so much at the shops today Did you used to play football when you were a boy? I use to go to the cinema occasionally, but I don’t have a lot of free time I like my brother, but he will argue with me all the time She’s very kind to the children She shall often give them presents ‘Shall we go for a walk after lunch?’ ‘Yes, we shall.’ ● Mixed structures Three of the forms have similar meanings Circle the form that doesn’t mean the same as the others ▲ I You get home by six o’clock tonight (have to, ‘ve got to, must, ought to ) park your car here (can’t, don’t have to, may not, mustn’t) hire a car when you go there You can get everywhere by train and bus You (’re not to, don’t have to, don’t need to, needn’t) You tell your sister that you’re sorry (had better, had to, ought to, should) Because of global warming, everyone ly less often (might, needs to, ought to, should) help me with these bags, please? (Can you, Could you, Would you, You’d better) Your team win the match tomorrow if they play well enough (could, would, may, might,) ● Mixed structures Choose the form from the box that matches the meaning of both sentences can ✓ can’t could may must is supposed to will ▲ She is able to drive my car / She is allowed to drive my car She can drive my car Perhaps you’ll decide that you don’t want to go / I’m allowing you to decide whether or not you want to go decide not to go to university when you leave school You He should be in Berlin this week / People think he’s in Berlin this week He be in Berlin this week I don’t believe that she is a police oicer / She won’t be allowed to become a police oicer She be a police oicer She’s too young She is going to leave her umbrella on the bus / She is always leaving her umbrella on the bus leave her umbrella on the bus She The actor who plays Poirot has to speak French / I’m sure that the actor who plays Poirot speaks French The actor who plays Poirot speak French He was able to cycle home / He was allowed to cycle home He cycle home from school when he was eleven / 50 Oxford English Grammar Course • Intermediate TEST • modal verbs © Michael Swan and Catherine Walter PHOTOCOPIABLE