Modal Auxiliaries

Modal Auxiliaries: Exercises

Modal auxiliaries [SGE4.21-24]Most of the modal verbs can be paired into present and past forms (eg: will/

would). But, as with other verbs, tenses have various meanings besides time: There's the phone. I'll answer it. [Future (F)] It will be Mother, ringing about the children. [Present (Pres)] We would often swim before breakfast when we were young. [Past (P)] I realized it would soon be my tenth birthday. [Future in the past] What would you do if you won the pools? [Hypothetical future] Would you like some more coffee? ['Social' usage ( here for politeness) referring, to the present1

Exercise 38 Modals - what's the time?Decide what time is broadly being referred to by the models in the following. Mark each sentence Past, Present or Future - or Future in the past. (We are not concerned

in this exercise with whether the event is real or hypothetical.)
1 Come early and we can have a picnic.
2 Can there be life on Mars?
3 It may well rain tomorrow.
4 You may be old, but that doesn't excuse you.
5 If you will eat so much, no wonder you're fat.
6 Shall we ever discover the truth?
7 The sea could be very rough that winter.
8 My cousin could be over there, but you're in the way.
9 You will be paid.
10 Children will do these things.
11 She hasn't telephoned - she might be ill.
12 Try as he might - he was unable to open the safe.
13 He might still come.
14 It's so cold - it could be the middle of winter.
15 I could telephone later if you like.
16 6 into 5 won't go.
17 All he would do was accept _5.
18 It was late in the year. Soon it would be Christmas.
19 I should think it's much too expensive.
20 I telephoned so that they shouldn't worTy.
21 I'm sorry you should think so.
22 Jane ought to be in New York by now.

Exercise 39 Modal meaning [SGE 4.21-34]Modal verbs have various kinds of meaning, such as:

Ability
Permission
Possibility

Obligation
Logical necessity
Tentative inference

FUTURE

I can see perfectly well without glasses. You canic ouldimay borTow my car. Anyone c an make a mistake. Come early, and we can talk. Adam maylmight know the ans~ver. I ha~'e got tolmustishouldlought to pay these bills. There must be some mistake. The weather ought tolshould be better soon.

Decide what is the meaning of the models in the followh1g, and mark them A(bility), Per(mission), Poss(ibility), Ob(ligation), Logical necessity (LN), Tentative inference (TI).

A personal computer word processor

Before you ( I ) can start using your PCW for word processing, your PCW (2) needs to be set up.

The printer (3) must be connected to your PCW.

You (4) need to prepare copies of the supplied discs. You (5) should only ever work with copies of these discs.

A 5 amp fuse (6) must be fitted to the plug. The colours of the wires in the mains lead (7) may not correspond with the coloured markings in your plug.

There are many different kinds of computer disc, so you (8) should always check that you are buying the right sort. Labelled discs from any leading manufacturer (9) should give good service.

I (10) can't make the thing work. It surely (11) can't be broken - it's a new machine. If I press this key I ( 12) ought to be able to start a new document, but nothing happens. There (13) ought to be a simpler instructions book.

(14) 'May I say something ?' 'Yes.' 'You (15) might do better if you pressed the key marked ENTER - you have got to do that most of the time, I find.'

9 10 1 1 12 13 14 15

Exercise 40 Modals [SGE 4.21-34]

Choose the best answers.

How (1) (a) CAN (b) may (c) need I lose weight? At one time I made a big effort - I (2) (a) must (b) should (c) would go for days without even looking at butter or potatoes or cakes. But I (3) (a) hadn't to (b) couldn't (c) mightn't give up chocolate. I just (4) (a) had to (b) must (c) ought to eat it in secret between meals.

Well if you (5) (a) can (b) will (c) would eat chocolate, you're making things difficult for yourself. You (6) (a) need (b) should (c) would give up all sweets and chocolate for a start, and you (7) (a) must (b) need (c) would cut down on sugar. And you (8) (a) couldn't (b) might not (c) mustn't eat between meals.

Surely I (9) (a) may not (b) must not (c) need not cut out all sweets, (10) (a) may (b) must (c) need I?

Well I think you (11) (a) may (b) ought to (c) shall, you know.

But I get so hungry. (12) (a) Can't (b) May not (c) Needn't I eat anything between meals?

Well perhaps you ( 13) (a) could (b) have got to (c) would eat an apple if you're desperate.

An apple! I (14) (a) can (b) will (c) need starve! You are saying that I (15) (a) have got to (b) need (c) would starve.

No, rubbish ! You (16) (a) mightn't (b) shouldn't (c) wouldn't starve if you eat sensibly. But you ( 17) (a) will (b) may (c) might try eating less. That ( 18) (a) must (b) needs to (c) should get your weight down.

(19) (a) Ought it to (b) Should it (c) Would it be a good idea to take vitamin tablets, do you think?

No, that (20) (a) couldn't (b) shouldn't (c) needn't be necessary if you eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.

And what else (21) (a) may (b) shall (c) will I do ?

(22) (a) Will (b) May (c) Would I tell you something to give up? Stop thinking so much about food.

Exercise 41 Modal perfect infinitives 1SGE 4.34]Complete the following using a suitable modal perfect infinitive, eg: mav hal e forgotten, c ould ha~'e done, that keeps close to the meaning of the sentences given.

We tried to get tickets for TheMousetrap last Saturday evening, but the theatre was sold out.

I Oh what a pity - I like the idea, but it's too late now. Oh what a pity_it WOULD HAVE BEEN fun.

2 It was possible to buy tickets for Friday, but we didn't. We .................................................................

3 We thought you had perhaps made other arrangements.

We thought you
4 Well Friday would have been impossible for us.
Well, we
5 It was a mistake leaving it so late.
We ....

6 The sensible thing would have been to book weeks ago.

We weeks ago.

7 Next weekend is a problem, because Mother is coming to stay and it is possible

she will be here by then.
Mother have arrived by then.

8 I was expecting her to telephone yesterday but she didn't, because I was in all day.

She .

But we shall definitely know by tomorrow night.
We .............

. tickets for Friday.

................................ other arrangements.

............................................................... on Friday.

9

vesterdav. hecause I W;3S in all (lay

............................................ heard by tomorrow night.

10 Tom says he's sure she has forgotten all about it.
He says she all about it.

11 I am really certain that she hasn't forgotten. That's not the sort of thing she

does.
She forgotten.

12 Tom went on and on apolo,oizin. about it. which was auite unnecessary

Exercise 42 be able to, have to, be a/lowed to [SGE 4.35] ~,. . I quite understand.

Complete the following using parts of be ahle to, hal~e to, and he alloT1'ed to, and any other words necessary so that the meaning is as close as possible to the sentences given.

I When I was at school, games were compulsory.

When I was at school, we HAD TO PLAY GAMES. 2 It was the fact that they were compulsory that I disliked.

It was play games that I disliked.
3 But football wasn't compulsory.

But we ....................................................................................

A 5 amp fuse (6) must be fitted to the plug. The colours of the wires in the mains lead (7) may not correspond with the coloured markings in your plug.

There are many different kinds of computer disc, so you (8) should always check that you are buying the right sort. Labelled discs from any leading manufacturer (9) should give good service.

(14) 'May I say something ?' 'Yes.' 'You (15) might do better if you pressed the key marked ENTER - you have got to do that most of the time, I find.'

9 10 1 1 12 13 14 15

Exercise 40 Modals [SGE 4.21-34]

Choose the best answers.

Surely I (9) (a) may not (b) must not (c) need not cut out all sweets, (10) (a) may (b) must (c) need I?

Well I think you (11) (a) may (b) ought to (c) shall, you know.

But I get so hungry. (12) (a) Can't (b) May not (c) Needn't I eat anything between meals?

Well perhaps you ( 13) (a) could (b) have got to (c) would eat an apple if you're desperate.

An apple! I (14) (a) can (b) will (c) need starve! You are saying that I (15) (a) have got to (b) need (c) would starve.

(19) (a) Ought it to (b) Should it (c) Would it be a good idea to take vitamin tablets, do you think?

No, that (20) (a) couldn't (b) shouldn't (c) needn't be necessary if you eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.

And what else (21) (a) may (b) shall (c) will I do ?

(22) (a) Will (b) May (c) Would I tell you something to give up? Stop thinking so much about food.

Exercise 41 Modal perfect infinitives 1SGE 4.34]Complete the following using a suitable modal perfect infinitive, eg: mav hal e forgotten, c ould ha~'e done, that keeps close to the meaning of the sentences given.

We tried to get tickets for TheMousetrap last Saturday evening, but the theatre was sold out.

I Oh what a pity - I like the idea, but it's too late now. Oh what a pity_it WOULD HAVE BEEN fun.

2 It was possible to buy tickets for Friday, but we didn't. We .................................................................

3 We thought you had perhaps made other arrangements.

We thought you
4 Well Friday would have been impossible for us.
Well, we
5 It was a mistake leaving it so late.
We ....

6 The sensible thing would have been to book weeks ago.

We weeks ago.

7 Next weekend is a problem, because Mother is coming to stay and it is possible

she will be here by then.
Mother have arrived by then.

8 I was expecting her to telephone yesterday but she didn't, because I was in all day.

She .

But we shall definitely know by tomorrow night.
We .............

. tickets for Friday.

................................ other arrangements.

............................................................... on Friday.

9

vesterdav. hecause I W;3S in all (lay

............................................ heard by tomorrow night.

10 Tom says he's sure she has forgotten all about it.
He says she all about it.

11 I am really certain that she hasn't forgotten. That's not the sort of thing she

does.
She forgotten.

12 Tom went on and on apolo,oizin. about it. which was auite unnecessary

Exercise 42 be able to, have to, be a/lowed to [SGE 4.35] ~,. . I quite understand.

Complete the following using parts of be ahle to, hal~e to, and he alloT1'ed to, and any other words necessary so that the meaning is as close as possible to the sentences given.

I When I was at school, games were compulsory.

When I was at school, we HAD TO PLAY GAMES. 2 It was the fact that they were compulsory that I disliked.

It was play games that I disliked.
3 But football wasn't compulsory.

But we ....................................................................................

4 Running was permitted as an alternative.

We ................................................................. S I wish I could play tennis really well.

I'd like ..... .... .... ...............

6 If you can't play games well, it's a disadvantage.

Not is a disadvantage.

7 It hasn't been possible for me to continue playing tennis since I left school.

I since I left school.

8 I'm sorry but I must say you don't look fit.

. go running instead.

. play tennis really well.

Exercise 43 More models [SGE 4.21- 34]..... say you don't look
fit.

Choose the best answers.

1 Why didn't you go to work yesterday?

I (a) needn't have gone (b) didn't need to go (c) mustn't go (d) couldn't have gone.

2 Actually I thought you always worked on Tuesday evenings?

I (a) might (b) must (c) would (d) used to years ago, but not now, thank goodness.

3 In fact at one time I (a) ought to ( b) had to (c) must (d) was to work two evenings a week.

4 That (a) can't have been (b) couldn't be (c) mustn't be (d) shouldn't have been very pleasant.

5 Oh it wasn't so bad. I had lots of friends there. We (a) might have (b) will have had (c) would have (d) would have had lots of fun.

6 Looking back, I find it odd that (a) I would enjoy (b) I would have enjoyed (c) I should have enjoyed (d) I ought to have enjoyed evening work so much.

7 But now, am I right? You (a) may not (b) mustn't (c) needn't (d) used not to work evenings.

That's right.

Of course. You did tell me. I (a) could remember (b) may have remembered (c) should have remembered (d) might remember.

Exercise 44 The Mary Ce/este: mixed tenses [SGE
Chapter 4]

The mystery of the Ma/y Celeste is one of the great mysteries of the sea. An American sailing ship, the Ma~y Celeste set sail from New York on 5 November 1872 - bound for Genoa in Italy, with a cargo of 1,700 barrels of commercial alcohol. Use suitable tenses, including passives if necessary, to find out more.

A month later - on 5 December - she ( I sight) east of the Azores, in

the eastern Atlantic, by a British ship, the Dei Gratia. By an amazing coincidence
the master of the British ship, Captain David Reed Morehouse, and the master of
the Mary Celeste, Captain Benjamin Spooner Briggs, (2 dine) ................
together in New York the night before the Ma~y Celeste (3 set sail) ................

So Morehouse (4 realize) , that the Ma~y Celeste (5 sail) in

the wrong direction. What could the ship be doing, he (6 wonder) ...............

Having hailed his friend's ship and got no reply, he (7 go) to

investigate. There (8 be) nobody on board. Captain Briggs, his wife

and two-year-old daughter (9 all vanish) The last entry in the ship's

log was for 25 November, on which day the Ma~y Celeste (10 be) ...............

within six miles of the Azores.
An enquiry ( 1 1 hold later) in Gibraltar, but to this day the mystery

of the Mary Celeste (12 never solve) ................

Exercise 45 What do you think happened?

There were, and have continued to be, various theories about the fate of the Mary Celeste. Rewrite the following theories using modal perfect infinitives [SGE 4.34]. Alternatives are sometimes possible.

Example: Perhaps the crew mutinied and murdered the Briggs family.

Answer: The crew may have/might have/could have mutinied and murdered the

Briggs family.

1 No, that's impossible. The crew had vanished too.

No, the crew ......................................................

2 they.................................................................

[but they were not found on the ship.]

3 I am convinced that the crew got drunk, murdered the family and then escaped.

The crew .................................................................................

4 Another possibility is that pirates boarded the ship and killed everyone.

Or pirates ..............................................................................

5 But what reason do you suggest these pirates had?

But why .........................................................................

6 No, obviously that did not happen.
No, that been what happened.
7 I feel certain the cargo of alcohol exploded.

Obviously, the cargo of alcohol ...................................................
8 Then possibly Captain Briggs decided - I'm only guessing - to get everyone

into the lifeboat - on a tow rope, of course.

Captain Briggs ........................................................................

9 If he did that, it was a mistake to do so.
Well he that.

10 And then, obviously, a wind caught the Mary Celeste, the rope broke and

everyone was drowned.
A wind , the rope
and everyone drowned.

...:.. done that, or . found on the ship.

.. that?