Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one. Some sentences have two correct answers. Choose both.
1Given the security footage and the time stamp, he ............... at the office when the email was sent.
Wrong!
Strong evidence supports the past deduction "must have been".
2If the lab results are accurate, the drug ............... the symptoms within forty-eight hours.
Wrong!
With the condition accepted as true, "will reduce" expresses a confident prediction.
3She ............... the meeting was cancelled, because she showed up with printed agendas for everyone.
Wrong!
Her actions show that "couldn't have known" is the logical past deduction.
4From his tone alone, you ............... he was joking, but the follow-up email made it clear he wasn't.
Wrong!
From limited evidence, "might assume" shows a tentative inference.
5I ............... to call you sooner, but the client kept me on the line for hours.
Wrong!
An unrealized past intention is expressed with "was going".
6He ............... be serious, because no one would risk their career over a joke like that.
Wrong!
The evidence leads to the strong present deduction "must".
7The lights are off and the curtains are drawn, so they ............... asleep already.
Wrong!
The visible clues support the cautious possibility "may be".
8If he really did say that, he ............... it, because it contradicts everything he argued last week.
Wrong!
The contradiction supports the negative deduction "can't mean".
9I ............... to have left early, but the chair kept adding last-minute agenda items.
Wrong!
An expected arrangement that did not happen is expressed with "was supposed".
10He ............... have missed the train, because he texted me from the platform at 9:02.
Wrong!
The evidence rules out the past possibility, so "can't" is correct before "have missed".
11Judging by the accent and the idioms, she ............... from Dublin.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
Both "must be" and "might be" can express an inference from the linguistic evidence, with different strength.
12The report ............... have been written by someone with legal training, because the terminology is consistently precise.
Wrong!
The precise terminology supports the strong deduction "must" before "have been written".
Done.
Score: 0/12
Answers
- Given the security footage and the time stamp, he must have been at the office when the email was sent.
- If the lab results are accurate, the drug will reduce the symptoms within forty-eight hours.
- She couldn’t have known the meeting was cancelled, because she showed up with printed agendas for everyone.
- From his tone alone, you might assume he was joking, but the follow-up email made it clear he wasn’t.
- I was going to call you sooner, but the client kept me on the line for hours.
- He must be serious, because no one would risk their career over a joke like that.
- The lights are off and the curtains are drawn, so they may be asleep already.
- If he really did say that, he can’t mean it, because it contradicts everything he argued last week.
- I was supposed to have left early, but the chair kept adding last-minute agenda items.
- He can’t have missed the train, because he texted me from the platform at 9:02.
- Judging by the accent and the idioms, she must be / might be from Dublin.
- The report must have been written by someone with legal training, because the terminology is consistently precise.
