English Advanced Grammar Exercises – Modal verbs exercise

1. Choose the best modal form (a or b) to complete each gap in the dialogue.

Pat:   Are you going? It’s only ten o’clock.

Jen:   I know, but I (1) ………… an early night. I’m leaving for the airport at 6 a.m. tomorrow.

Pat:   Really? Where are you going?

Jen:   Indonesia. Surely I (2) ………… you about my trip …

Pat:   No, I had no idea! It sounds fantastic. You (3) ………… so excited!

Jen:   Yes, I am.

Pat:   It’s a shame Megan isn’t here. She spent a few months in Indonesia. She (4) ………… some useful tips.

Jen:   I’m sure she was here earlier. She (5) ………… .

Pat:   Oh yes, that’s right. She (6) ………… give her friend a lift home. She (7) ………… back later through. Why don’t you wait?

Jen:   No, I can’t. Anyway, I’d (8) ………… her when I’m there, if I have any questions.

1   a must be getting     b need to get

2   a must have told     b should have told

3   a need to be     b must be

4   a might have     b needs to have

5   a must have left     b should have left

6   a must     b had to

7   a must be     b should be

8   a be better off texting     b better text

2. Complete the sentences with didn’t need to or needn’t have and the verb in brackets.

1   In the end, we stayed with friends, so I ……………………. (spend) so much time looking at hotels last weekend!

2   We ……………………. (change) trains – our train was direct all the way to Biarritz.

3   We tool bikes with us, so we ……………………. (hire) them when we were away.

4   Thanks for all the gifts, although you ……………………. (buy) me so much!

5   You ……………………. (come) by taxi – you could have walked here in ten minutes!

6   The receptionist had our bill ready when we came downstairs – we ……………………. (ask) for it.

3. Complete the second sentences so that it means the same as the first. Include one modal form from A and B below.

A   can’t have • may be • might have • might not have • must have • shouldn’t have

B   had to • had to • had to • having to • needed to • needed to

1   Perhaps your friends were obliged to spend the night at the airport.

     Your friends ……………………………… at the airport.

2   It’s wrong that it was necessary for you to leave your passport at reception.

     You ……………………………… your passport at reception.

3   Perhaps it is necessary for him to work overtime today.

     He ……………………………… today.

4   It’s impossible that Bess was obliged to pay for her visa. They’re free.

     Bess ……………………………… her visa. They’re free.

5   Without a doubt, it was necessary for your parents to walk home. There were no taxis.

      Your parents ……………………………… home. There were no taxis.

6   Perhaps it was unnecessary for them to book a table in advance.

     They ……………………………… in advance.

4. Write a sentence about something that:

1   you’d better do before the end of the week.

     ……………………………………….

2   you should have done (but you didn’t do it).

     ……………………………………….

3   you needn’t have done (but you did it).

     ……………………………………….

4   might be doing soon.

     ……………………………………….

5. Choose the correct words to complete the text.

1   a should     b ought     c must

2   a ‘d better     b have to     c needn’t

3   a should have     b have to     c had to

4   a needed to realise     b must have realised     c should have realised

5   a oughtn’t     b must     c needed to

6   a had to     b should     c ought

7   a needed to     b needn’t have     c could have

8   a would have had to     b needed to have     c ought to have

Last summer we were in Paris, and we decided that we really (1) …………… to visit the Palace of Versailles. We thought we (2) …………… get there early to beat the crowds, so we (3) …………… get up early in the morning to catch the train. We (4) …………… that even in the early morning, a world-famous attraction like the Palace of Versailles would have a huge queue to get in. My friends and I had to queue for nearly one and half hours before we finally got into the palace grounds!

Versailles Palace is beautiful, and you really (5) …………… see it when you visit Paris – but you (6) …………… do some research on the internet before you go. We didn’t know that we (7) …………… waited in the long queue because you can purchase ‘jump the queue’ priority tickets online. We (8) …………… pay a bit more for those, but it would certainly have been worth it.