A. Circle the correct option in these sentences. If both are correct, circle both.
1 Hello. Could/Can I speak to doctor Jones?
2 He could/was allowed to go home yesterday, because his symptoms disappeared.
3 The head nurse said I could/was allowed to go home.
4 Do you think I should/could be worried about these spots on my forehead?
5 You ought to/should enter that English contest!
6 You couldn’t/shouldn’t talk to pa ents like that! It’s rude!
7 You should write/have written two essays at the exam yesterday, not one!
8 No, you may/should not go out tonight, you’re ill!
9 Diana should have waited/been waiting for me in front of the hospital. I wonder where she went.
10 Yes, of course you can/are able to open the window if you’re too hot.
C. Use the words in the box to complete the sentences in column A. Column B will help you.
able • cannot • could • had • have • might • must • needn’t • mustn’t • should • will
A B
1 I must have le my bag on the bus. certainty
2 In a few months, I’ll be able to donate blood again. future ability
3 I could drive when I was thirteen years old! past ability
4 No, you cannot have any more me. refusing a request
5 I think you should consider a career in neurosurgery. giving advice
6 I mustn’t forget to phone the doctor today! personal obliga on
7 I had to have a filling at the den st’s. obliga on in the past
8 You don’t have to do exercise D for homework. lack of obliga on
9 You will have to work harder if you want a good mark. future obliga on
10 Sean might have got stuck in traffic. possibility
11 I needn’t have worried about it so much, it was easy. lack of past obliga on
B. Complete each second sentence using the word given, so that it has a similar meaning to the
first sentence. Write 2 – 5 words in each gap.
1 His lights are on so I’m pre y sure Dan is at home. as
Dan must be at home as his lights are on.
2 Susie’s car’s not here so she’s almost certainly taking her grandma to the doctor. be
Susie must be taking her grandma to the doctor since her car’s not here.
3 There’s no way that boy’s Simon. He’s much taller! boy
That boy can’t/couldn’t be Simon. He’s much taller!
4 I’m certain the doctor doesn’t think we’re coming today; we arranged it for next week. expecting
The doctor can’t/couldn’t be expec ng us today; we arranged it for next week.
5 I bet the surgeons were exhausted a er such a difficult opera on! have
The surgeons must have been exhausted a er such a difficult opera on!
6 The only explana on is that Evan talked to his doctor yesterday. talked
Evan must have talked to his doctor yesterday.
7 There’s no way Casey stopped smoking, I don’t believe it. have
Casey can’t/couldn’t have stopped smoking, I don’t believe it.
D. Write one word in each gap
When I broke my arm a week ago, I guess it should have hurt. But it didn’t! We were doing PE at
school, and we were making a pyramid. We had to stand on each other’s shoulders. I was right at the
top. We can’t/couldn’t have been doing it properly because suddenly the pyramid collapsed and we
all fell. I landed on my arm.
Mr Jenkins must have known immediately that I’d broken my arm because he sent someone to call
an ambulance. I can s ll remember the feeling – my arm was numb, and looked very strange, but
there was no pain at all. I remember thinking: “It can’t be broken. If it was broken, I’d be in agony.” I
suppose not feeling any pain may/might/ could/ must have been because I was in shock. The plaster
should/could/may/might come off in about three weeks but it may/might have to stay on longer. It
depends whether the break has healed properly or not. The next three weeks may not be the best
three weeks of my life – no basketball, no playing in the playground, no swimming – but I’m coun ng
my blessings. It could/might have been a lot worse!
All previous tasks and explana ons adapted from: Mann, Malcolm. Taylore-Knowles, Steve.
Des na on B2. 2008.
E. use the correct form of the words in brackets with modals in past in the gaps.
1 I don’t know why there weren’t any classes yesterday. There may/might/could have been a dean’s
day, but I’m not sure. (BE)
2 You must have seen her. She was standing right next to you. (SEE)
3 She couldn’t have travelled to Russia. She hasn’t got a passport. (TRAVEL)
4 You needn’t have gone to the shop, I went there on my way home, so I bought everything myself.
(GO)
5 We shouldn’t have made so many appointments for today, I’m afraid we won’t manage all of them.
(MAKE)
6 We would have joined you at the conference, but we had to go for a lecture. (JOIN)
7 The doctors could/should have done more, I don’t understand why they gave up. (DO)
8 I must have told you before, I am absolutely sure I did. (TELL)
9 You could have spent more me on prepara on, you were just lazy. (SPEND)
10 I would have come to see you. I didn’t know you were ill! (COME)
F. Use would + perfect infinitive in these third conditionals. Use the verbs in brackets.
1 If I had known about it, I would have told you. (TELL)
2 I would have stayed much longer, if I hadn’t had an exam. (STAY)
3 If I had known you had forbidden it, I wouldn’t have gone there. (NOT GO)
4 If I had decided to go there then, surely the car would have hit me. (HIT)
5 If I hadn’t eaten those peanuts last week, I wouldn’t have been rushed to hospital. (NOT RUSH)