English Advanced Grammar Exercises – Modal and non-modal verbs 2

A. Match the sentence beginnings to the correct endings.

a   you to speak more quietly, please?

b   sing beautifully as a child.

c   get a new phone. Yours is really old.

d   I phone you when I arrive?

e   I leave early, please?

f   let you speak to me like that!

g   helping me to lift this box?

h   to stay out late. Her parents get worried.

i    able to say the alphabet backwards.

j    to get tickets for tonight’s match. It’s going to be great.

B. Rewrite each sentence so that it has a similar meaning, using the verb forms from the box.

1   You may bring one bag with you on the plane.

      ……………………………………………

2   You can’t speak during the exam.

      ……………………………………………

3   May I put my feet on this chair?

      ……………………………………………

4   You should have practised harder.

      ……………………………………………

5   You must wear a helmet.

      ……………………………………………

6   You needn’t have bought me a present.

      ……………………………………………

7   They can’t sing!

      ……………………………………………

8   They couldn’t find our house.

      ……………………………………………

9   Can you speak more slowly, please?

      ……………………………………………

10   Shall I cook tonight?

        ……………………………………………

C. Read the rules for a drama club, then complete the email, using the correct forms of have to, need to, be supposed to or be allowed to.

Rules

1   Members must attend all rehearsals.

2   Members may not leave rehearsals without permission.

3   Members must sell at least 10 tickets for each performance.

4   Members must not speak to any journalists about future performances without permission.

5   Members may request a meeting with the club directors only on Thursday mornings.

6   Members should not bring food or drink to rehearsals.

Dear Gary,

I’m thinking of leaving the drama club – the rules are horrible. We 1……………… all rehearsals, whether we’re in those scenes or not. And we 2……………… without permission! Not even to go to the toilet! We 3……………… at least 10 tickets for every performance – last month we had 8 performances so I 4………………  80 tickets! Can you believe it? To make matters worse, we 5……………… to any journalists about the shows. That’s crazy! How 6……………… sell tickets if there’s nothing in the newspapers? I wanted to speak to the directors about it, but we 7……………… ask for a meeting only on Thursday mornings!

Who’s free at that time? Anyway, I guess they’ll make me leave the club soon. I was eating a kebab at our last rehearsal, even though we 8……………… or drink anything. The director was so angry, but I don’t really mind if they throw me out. Anyway, I 9……………… stop writing now – I 10……………… learn my lines tonight.

Tim

D. Complete each sentence, using a modal or non-modal form which is most similar to the underlined verb.

1   Last year we only had to practise four times a week, but next year we …………………. practise at least six times a week.

2   I can usually eat a whole pizza, but last night I wasn’t feeling good, so I …………………. eat only about half of it.

3   You really must go to bed earlier. When I was your age, I used to …………………. go to bed at 9 pm.

4   You may not leave the building during the lecture, but of course you will …………………. leave at the end.

5   I didn’t manage to complete the race last week. When I was younger, I …………………. run much further every week.

6   You should always prepare for every performance, and you really …………………. prepared for last week’s performance because they were filming it for TV.

7   You needn’t worry about tomorrow’s show, just like you …………………. worried about last night’s show.

8   Your microphone is broken again. I can’t hear you now and I …………………. hear you when you were singing.

E. Write or complete a criticism for each situation, using the word in brackets.

1   Your friend invited you to a party but didn’t tell you to bring a birthday present. (might)

      ……………………………………………..

2   Your friend arrives at your house completely wet because it’s been raining. (should)

      …………………………………………….. an umbrella.

3   Your friend offered to help you with some work, but then didn’t reply to your emails. (supposed)

      …………………………………………….. .

4   Your friend says something you don’t understand or don’t like. (supposed)

      …………………………………………….. mean?

5   Your friend has heard some gossip about you. (shouldn’t)

      …………………………………………….. .

6   Your friend didn’t ask you to help, and got a bad grade in a test. (ought to)

      …………………………………………….. .

7   Your friend promised to bring you something back from his holiday, but forgot. (supposed)

      …………………………………………….. .

8   Your friend sometimes treats you like a child. (I won‘t)

      …………………………………………….. .

9   You cooked a meal for your friend, but she didn’t tell you she had already eaten. (could)

      …………………………………………….. .

10   Your friend has painted a picture but you have no idea what it is. It looks horrible. (supposed)

        …………………………………………….. be?

F. Complete the sentences to make them true for you, using verb forms from this unit.

1   When I was a child, I used to have to …………………… but now …………………… .

2   I wasn’t able …………………… but I hope I’ll be able …………………… .

3   I think teenagers should be allowed …………………… but they shouldn’t …………………… .

4   I should have …………………… but I didn’t because …………………… .

G. Circle the correct option.

1   I don’t feel very well today, so do you mind ………… at home?

      a   that I stay

      b   if I stay

      c   I stay

2   Alexei wanted to film the sunrise yesterday, so he ………… get up at 3.00.

      a   has to

      b   had to

      c   must

3   You ………… told us he was a famous director – we’d have asked for his autograph!

      a   could have

      b   would have

      c   had

4   We were going to go by bus but in the end we ………… because Simon gave us a lift.

      a   needn’t

      b   didn’t need to

      c   needn’t have

5   It took me three hours before I was finally ………… fix my computer.

      a   could

      b   managed to

      c   able to