MODALS PRACTICE SET

1. Would you mind posting this letter for me?

2. Will you lend me your bicycle?

3. You shall not come to my door again.

4. You shall regret this.

5. What shall we do now?

6. Parents should teach their children to be honest.

7. He can take rest if he is tired.

8. You should have told me before borrowing my car.

9. The students asked if they could go home early.

10. I could run faster when I was younger.

11. You must not light a match. Gas is leaking.

12. I used to smoke before I fell ill.

1. It is possible that Christopher Marlowe ..................have written plays for

Shakespeare. ( might/could)

2. The daughter asked her mother if she ....................go out. ( would/might)

3. Speak slowly lest you ................awake the child. ( should/would) 4. Children

...............take tea at night. ( should/must )

5. She came here so that she ................( may/might) meet her child.

6. ................her soul rest in peace ! (Would/ May)

7. They ...............not read this book for this topic. ( need/dare)

8. You ..................to go to Delhi tomorrow to attend the meeting. ( will have/ should )

9. If you stayed here, you ..............not face the problem. ( would/ should)

10. ...............she had worked hard, she would have passed. ( Should/ Must)

11. He ...........be given warm welcome if he wins the tournament. ( Will/ Shall)

12. Children ...............not go to the roof at night. ( Dare/ Can)

13. She ..............read a book while watching TV during her school days. ( Would/
Could)

14. He .............pass this time as he has worked satisfactorily hard. ( May/ Can)

15. She said that she ...............prepare dinner herself. ( Will/Would)

16. John ............. to be at home. ( Used/ Ought )

17. They ...............to play cricket every day when they were in the college. ( Used/
Ought)

18. ..............you please help me lift this box ? ( Can/ Could)

19. .............that I knew her ! ( May/ Would)

20. Anyone .............write a poem on this topic. ( Can/ May )

Answers - 1. might 2. might 3. should 4. must 5. might 6. May 7. need 8. will have
9. would 10. Should 11. Shall 12. dare 13. Would 14. may 15. Would 16. Ought 17.
Used 18. Could 19. Would 20. Can

1. You must be exhausted after your long trip. Come in and have a drink.
2. John can't have taken your car keys. He hasn't even left the house.
3. I won't go out this afternoon because the weather forecast is not very good, and I
could get wet.
4. You don't have to apply for the job yet. You can do it later this week.
5. I must have left my wallet in the car. I can't find it anywhere.
6. That can't be Jake. It's impossible. He said he was going to Spain.
7. You mustn't/can't step into the headmaster's office without permission.
8. Tell your sister she can stay the night here if she wants to.
9. You have already drunken a glass of wine. You had better not drive. Let me.
10.You must see the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre when you go to Paris.
11.I don't have to take orders from you. You're not my boss!
12.When I was younger, I could run very fast.
13.Your cold is getting worse and you have a runny nose. You ought to see the doctor.
14.My husband is preparing dinner. He's not a good cook so you shouldn't expect
anything special.
15.Don't leave your window open at night. Someone might/ could climb in.
16.Brenda can't be over thirty. She graduated a year after me and I'm only 26.
17.You don't have to come with me. I can manage on my own.
18.She must have got lost. Otherwise she'd be here by now.
19.You must be more careful. You could have been killed crossing the street without
looking.
20.I didn't need to buy more groceries. We already had enough.
1. We haven't seen you for weeks! You should come more often.

2. I Would do it if I thought it necessary.

3. Would you like to have a cup of coffee?

1. I _____________ prefer to keep quite. (would/should)

2. The school _____________ remain closed tomorrow for Diwali.
(shall/will)
3. I am sure we _____________ cross the river easily. (shall/will)
4. I _____________ help you only if you deserve it. (will/shall)
5. No one knew whether he _____________ come or not.
(would/should)
6. _____________ you please stop talking? (shall/will)
7. Work hard lest you _____________ fail. (should/would)
8. I _____________ learn Sanskrit and none shall stop me.
(shall/will)
9. I _____________ like you to do as I tell you. (should/would)
 10. _____________ you see him in the fair, send him to me.
(would/should)
Answer

1. would
2. shall
3. shall
4. will
5. would
6. will
7. should
8. will
9. would
10. should
1. _____________ you like to have a cup of tea?
2. The nurse told me that the doctor _____________ come back
soon.
3. We _____________ fight to the last.
4. You _____________ not touch my things again.
5. You _____________ stick to your words.
6. _____________ you please lend me your bicycle?
7. Ask for a reward and you _____________ have it.
8. _____________ that I were rich?
9. You _____________ not go in for the old car.
10. I _____________ report against you if you do not mend
your ways.
Answer

1. would
2. would
3. will
4. shall
5. should
6. Would
7. shall
8. Would
9. should
10. will
Q. Fill in the blanks using ‘can’, ‘could’, ‘may’ or ‘might’:
1. I _____________ run very fast when I was young.
2. _____________ I come in, Madam?
3. We _____________ have a stormy night.
4. He told me that I _____________ go home then.
5. _____________ you live long, my son!
6. He _____________ speak English fluently.
7. I would help him if I _____________.
8. She has not promised, but she _____________ come.
9. ……… you wait for me for a while?
10. He ……. invite you to his birthday party.
11. I thought that she _____________ be easily taken in.
12. He _____________ have reached home by now.
13. _____________ God bless you with a son!
14. Accidents _____________ happen at any time on this busy
road.
15. I _____________ implore you to accede to my request.
16. We _____________ go for shopping next week. We shall
need a lot of things for the holidays.
17. He _____________ be rich, but he is very cruel.
18. I _____________ not come yesterday since, I was too
busy.
19. We eat that we _____________ live.
20. _____________ his soul rest in peace!
Answer

1. could
2. May
3. might
4. could
5. May
6. can
7. could
8. might
9. Could
10. may
11. could
12. might
13. May
14. can
15. might
 16. may
17. may
18. could
19. may
20. May
Q. Fill in the blanks using ‘should’, ‘must’, ‘mustn’t, ‘have to’ or ‘ought to’:

1. You _____________ take care of your health.

2. We _____________ obey the laws of our country.
3. He _____________ obey his teacher.
4. We _____________ die sooner or later.
5. Walk carefully lest you _____________ fall down.
6. You _____________ start your work in right earnest.
7. One _____________ love one’s neighbour.
8. You _____________ not give way to despair even if you fail
once.
9. The Bursar _____________ check all the accounts.
10. Students _____________ prepare their lessons well.
11. The doctor told me that I _____________ not smoke any
more.
12. We _____________ do as we are told.
13. Children _____________ obey and respect their elders.
14. The headmaster _____________ check all those accounts.
15. You _____________ squander your parent’s hard earned
money.
16. You _____________ mend your own ways before you
criticize others.
17. The students _____________ be in school at eight.
18. You _____________ disobey the laws of the land.
Answer

1. should
2. must
3. ought to
4. must
5. should
6. must
7. ought to
8. should
9. must
10. ought to
11. must
12. must
13. ought to
14. must
15. mustn’t
16. have to
17. have to
18. mustn’t