This grammar exercise tests your ability to use modal auxiliaries correctly.
Fill in the blanks with an appropriate modal auxiliary.
1They knelt in front of the child who ............... one day rule their country.
Wrong!
Use "would" for future in the past after a past-tense verb such as "knelt."
2How many people ............... get into a telephone booth?
Wrong!
Use "can" to ask about general possibility or capacity.
3I ............... not do this if I did not have to.
Wrong!
Use "would" in the main clause of this second conditional sentence.
4If you stopped talking, I ............... get some work done.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
"Might" and "could" are both possible for a hypothetical result in this second conditional sentence.
5............... a visa for Malaysia?
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
"Need I get" and "Do I need to get" both ask whether something is necessary.
6You ............... better start saying thank you.
Wrong!
Use "had" in the fixed advice expression "had better."
7Let's go for a walk, ............... we?
Wrong!
Use "shall" in the question tag after "Let's."
8You ............... work on Sundays, but you can if you want to.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
"Needn't" and "don't need to" both mean that working on Sundays is not necessary; "mustn't" would forbid it, which contradicts "you can if you want to".
9She really ............... to mend her ways.
Wrong!
Use "ought" before "to" when giving advice or saying what is right.
10She ............... speak six languages.
Wrong!
Use "can" to talk about ability.
11Life ............... be more interesting when I was a child.
Wrong!
Use "used to" for a past state that is no longer true.
12Granny ............... always bring us nice gifts.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
"Would" and "used to" can both describe repeated past habits.
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- They knelt in front of the child who would one day rule their country.
- How many people can get into a telephone booth?
- I would not do this if I did not have to.
- If you stopped talking, I might / could get some work done.
- Need I get / Do I need to get a visa for Malaysia?
- You had better start saying thank you.
- Let’s go for a walk, shall we?
- You needn’t / don’t need to work on Sundays, but you can if you want to.
- She really ought to mend her ways.
- She can speak six languages.
- Life used to be more interesting when I was a child.
- Granny would / used to always bring us nice gifts.