Modal verbs (will, can, may, must, etc.) are used to indicate whether something is considered certain, probable, possible, or not. They are also used in sentences to express ability, request permission, make requests and offers, and so on.

These modalities (ability, permission, advice, etc.) can be practised in the following exercises.

exercises

ability

  • exercise 1: choose the correct modal verb to express ability
  • exercise 2: choose between can, can’t, could, couldn’t and will be able to
  • exercise 3: choose between met can, could and to be able to
  • exercise 4: fill in the best modal:  can, could, be able to, may or might

permission 

  • exercise 1: choose between can, could, may and might
  • exercise 2: fill in can, could, may or might to ask permission or offer something

advice

  • exercise 1: choose between could, would and should
  • exercise 2: fill in the best modal:  should, ought to or had better
  • exercise 3: choose the most appropriate modal verb to express advice

deduction and probability 

  • exercise 1: modal verbs for past probability: choose between should have, might have, must have and can’t have 
  • exercise 2: modal verbs for past probability: fill in  must have, might have, should have or can’t have 
  • exercise 3: modal verbs for past probability: choose the best auxiliary to express strong probability
  • exercise 4: modal verbs for present probability: choose the correct sentence
  • exercise 5: modal verbs for past probability: choose the correct form
  • exercise 6: modal verbs for past probability: fill in must have, can’t have, couldn’t have, may have
  • exercise 7: modal verbs for present probability: fill in  must, can’t, could, may, might

necessity and obligation 

  • exercise 1: choose the most appropriate modal verb to express various ideas of necessity
  • exercise 2: the difference between must and have to: choose the correct form
  • exercise 3: modal verbs of obligation: choose between must, have to, should, ought to
  • exercise 4: the difference between must and have to: choose the correct form
  • exercise 5: fill in must, have got to or have to

request 

  • exercise 1: choose the appropriate form to express request or permission
  • exercise 2: choose the best modal to express polite request: would you, could you, will you and can you

all modalities

  • exercise 1: choose between can, could, may, might and must
  • exercise 2: choose between can, could, may, might, must, must have, and should
  • exercise 3: choose the correct modal verb
  • exercise 4: choose the correct modal verb
  • exercise 5: choose the correct modal verb
  • exercise 6: choose the correct modal verb
  • exercise 7: fill in can, could, have to, must, might or should
  • exercise 8: fill in can, couldn’t, have to, might, must, ought to,  shouldn’t or was able
  • exercise 9: choose the correct modal verb
  • exercise 10: choose the correct modal verb

useful pages