PAST MODALS

Past modals
Paraphrase the following phrases using the words in brackets:
e.g. I can play football quite well. (when a child) -
When a child I could play football quite well.
He may write a book about ghosts in a month. (long ago) -
He may have written a book about ghosts long ago.
1. He may be studying in his room. (when I called him)
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2. Jade can’t beat Ellen in tennis. (last weekend).
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3. She’s quite able to lift this suitcase, it isn’t heavy. (when she went on holiday)
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4. The situation is bad, but it could be worse. (yesterday)
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5. Nicky must be asleep now. (when his parents called at his bedroom)
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6. You must be tired. (you came home late yesterday)
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7. They can’t know many people here. (when they moved to their new house)
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8. My neighbour can’t be playing the trumpet. I’ve never heard him playing. (previous)
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9. That man outside the café might be waiting for someone. (we saw last night)
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10. Jane looks pale, she may be ill. (on Monday)
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11. You must come immediately. (when I asked you)
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12. You mustn’t leave the lecture without professor’s permission. (when you were at university)
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13. You should apologise for talking to her like that. (yesterday)
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14. You shouldn’t listen to our conversation, it’s private. (last time we saw you)
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Past modals
Keys
1. He may be studying in his room. (when I called him)
He may have been studying in his room when I called him.
2. Jade can’t beat Ellen in tennis. (last weekend).
Last week Jade couldn’t beat Ellen in tennis.
3. She’s quite able to lift this suitcase, it isn’t heavy. (when she went on holiday)
When she went on holiday, she was quite able to lift that suitcase, it wasn’t heavy.
4. The situation is bad, but it could be worse. (yesterday)
The situation was bad yesterday, but it could have been worse.
5. Nicky must be asleep now. (when his parents called at his bedroom)
Nicky must have been asleep when his parents called at his bedroom.
6. You must be tired. (you came home late yesterday)
You must have been tired when you came home late yesterday.
7. They can’t know many people here. (when they moved to their new house)
They can’t have known many people here when they moved to their new house.
8. My neighbour can’t be playing the trumpet. I’ve never heard him playing. (previous)
My previous neighbor can’t have been playing the trumpet. I’d never heard him playing.
9. That man outside the café might be waiting for someone. (we saw last night)
That man we saw last night outside the café might have been waiting for someone.
10. Jane looks pale, she may be ill. (on Monday)
Jade looked pale on Monday, she may have been ill.
11. You must come immediately. (when I asked you)
You had to come immediately when I asked you.
12. You mustn’t leave the lecture without professor’s permission. (when you were at university)
When you were at university, you were not allowed to leave the lecture without professor’s permission.
13. You should apologise for talking to her like that. (yesterday)
You should have apologised yesterday for talking to her like that.
14. You shouldn’t listen to our conversation, it’s private. (last time we saw you)
You shouldn’t have listened to our conversation last time we saw you, it was private.

MUST - HAVE TO

MUST - HAVE TO


Complete the sentences below with the correct word(s) : 'must' or 'have to'.



1. My boss needs this report urgently. I _____________ finish it now.

2. "You _________ arrive on time every morning" said the shopkeeper to the new trainee.

3. Julie __________ go to work on foot. The buses are on strike. .

4. Secretaries ________ answer the phone. That's part of their job.

5. "You ________ do your homework" said the teacher.

6. "We__________ invite our neighbours for dinner one day" said my husband.

7. David ________ leave home at 7..30 a.m. in order to get to the office at 9 a.m.

8. "I _______ hurry or I'll miss my flight!"

9. Employees ___________ attend all personnel meetings - it's written in their contracts.

10. "I ________ call my mother - it's her birthday today."




1. have to 2. must 3. has to 4. have to 5. must 6. must 7. has to 8. must 9. have to 10. must

Modal Verbs

Modal Verbs


Complete the following sentences with one of the following words :

can | could | may | might | should | ought to | shall | will

(Some sentences offer two possibilities.)



1. The article stated that he ___________ read at the age of three.


2. You ____________ take a sweater in case it gets cold.


3. It's going to rain all afternoon. ___________ we go to the cinema?

4. Scott ________ be 21 at the end of the month.


5. Julie said they traffic was heavy, so she ___________ be late for the meeting.


6. You look a bit confused. ________ I help you?


7. You stole a CD from a friend? You _____________ be ashamed of yourself!


8. I don't know the meaning of this word. _______ I borrow your dictionary?




1) could 2) should/ought to 3) shall 4) will 5) might 6) can 7) ought to/should 8) may