XII - EXERCISES Modal verbs II

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Modal verbs


Exercise one:

Modals of ability: Can, Could, May, Might
Conditional of ability: Be able to

1. My cat ____________ jump, but it ____________ talk.

1. can't / can 
2. can / can't 

2. George is absent from class today. He ____________ be sick.

1. is able to 
2. could 
3. can 

3. When Vera was young, she ____________ type quickly. She took a typing class and now she ____________ type very quickly!

1. could not / can 
2. can / could 
3. could not / can to 

4. Sara ____________ Italian food and she ____________ French food too!

1. can cooks / can cooks 
2. can cooking / can cooking 
3. can cook / is able to cook 

5. Peter ____________ swim when he was a child, but now he ____________. In fact, he swims every day!

1. couldn't / can't 
2. could / can't 
3. couldn't / can 

6. The little girl asked, "Mommy, ____________ I have a cookie?" The mother said, "Yes, you ____________."

1. may / might 
2. can / can 
3. can / are able to 

7. She ____________ understand Korean very well, but she ____________ speak it perfectly.

1. be able to / cannot 
2. is able to / cannot 
3. is able to / is able to 

8. ____________ you play the piano when you were a child?

1. Can 
2. Could 
3. May 

9. Kevin was disappointed because he ____________ get tickets for the football game.

1. weren't able to 
2. wasn't able to 

10. ____________ I borrow your dictionary?

1. Am I able to 
2. May 
3. Might 

11. ____________ dogs fly? No, of course not!

1. Can 
2. May 
3. Do can 

12. I'm going to bring an umbrella today because it ____________ rain.

1. can 
2. is able to 
3. might 

13. The family can't decide where to go on vacation. They ____________ go to Los Angeles or they ____________ go to Hawaii.

1. could / couldn't 
2. may / are able to 
3. might / may 

Exercise two:

Modals of Ability: Can, Could, May, Might
Conditional of ability: Be able to

Use a negative form when necessary.

1…………………………… I borrow your pencil? Thanks!
2. James and Sara are sad because they…………………………… go to their brother's wedding. They are too sick.
3. The students…………………………… understand the instructions for the test yesterday, so many of them failed.
4. A: We have a big problem. What…………………………… we do? B: I don't know. Maybe we…………………………… ask our boss for help.
5. When Tina was a child, she…………………………… speak three languages: French, Arabic and English. She rarely practiced French, so she…………………………… speak it anymore.
6. I'm sorry. I…………………………… hear you. Please speak more loudly.
7. My little brother…………………………… play piano and guitar.
8. Excuse me. …………………………… I ask you a question?
9. A: What are you going to do on the weekend? B: I'm not sure yet. We…………………………… go to a movie or we…………………………… stay home and relax.
10. I…………………………… go to school tomorrow because I'm feeling sick right now. I'm not sure.

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Exercise one:

1. My cat ____________ jump, but it ____________ talk.

1. can't / can 
2. can / can't 

2. George is absent from class today. He ____________ be sick.

1. is able to 
2. could 
3. can 

3. When Vera was young, she ____________ type quickly. She took a typing class and now she ____________ type very quickly!

1. could not / can 
2. can / could 
3. could not / can to 

4. Sara ____________ Italian food and she ____________ French food too!

1. can cooks / can cooks 
2. can cooking / can cooking 
3. can cook / is able to cook 

5. Peter ____________ swim when he was a child, but now he ____________. In fact, he swims every day!

1. couldn't / can't 
2. could / can't 
3. couldn't / can 

6. The little girl asked, "Mommy, ____________ I have a cookie?" The mother said, "Yes, you ____________."

1. may / might 
2. can / can 
3. can / are able to 

7. She ____________ understand Korean very well, but she ____________ speak it perfectly.

1. be able to / cannot 
2. is able to / cannot 
3. is able to / is able to 

8. ____________ you play the piano when you were a child?

1. Can 
2. Could 
3. May 

9. Kevin was disappointed because he ____________ get tickets for the football game.

1. weren't able to 
2. wasn't able to 

10. ____________ I borrow your dictionary?

1. Am I able to 
2. May 
3. Might 

11. ____________ dogs fly? No, of course not!

1. Can 
2. May 
3. Do can 

12. I'm going to bring an umbrella today because it ____________ rain.

1. can 
2. is able to 
3. might 

13. The family can't decide where to go on vacation. They ____________ go to Los Angeles or they ____________ go to Hawaii.

1. could / couldn't 
2. may / are able to 
3. might / may 

Exercise two:

1. May I borrow your pencil? Thanks!
2. James and Sara are so sad because they aren't able to go to their brother's wedding. They were too sick.
3. The students couldn't understand the instructions for the test yesterday, so many of them failed.
4. A: We have a big problem. What can we do? B: I don't know. Maybe we can ask our boss for help.
5. When Tina was a child, she could speak three languages: French, Arabic and English. She rarely practiced French, so she can't speak it anymore.
6. I'm sorry. I can't hear you. Please speak more loudly.
7. My little brother is able to play piano and guitar.
8. Excuse me. Could I ask you a question?
9. A:What are you going to do on the weekend? B: I'm not sure yet. We might go to a movie or we may stay home and relax.
10. I might not go to school tomorrow because I'm feeling sick right now. I'm not sure.

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